Guardian best on the big, big screen

I have to say upfront that I am not a Kevin Costner fan.  His acting often leaves a lot to be wanting when it comes to any role that requires portrayal of emotion.  Such was the case with The Guardian.  While the film itself was entertaining, and at over 2 hours doesn’t seem as long as it was, I never really bought into Costner’s character’s connection to the complex emotions the were the heart of the movie.  That aside, I thought the film was well balanced between the action of the job and the stress on relationships that being a Coast Guard rescue diver must bring.  Ashton Kutcher costars alongside Costner and brings some of his humor to a film that needed a lighter side.  Added to this mix are veteran actress Sela Ward and relative newcomer Melissa Sagemiller, who both bring the other side to the question of what price these men and women pay in order to save lives in the most desperate of situations.  In all the film was successful in portraying heroes in the midst of danger without losing the humanity that makes telling stories like this so important.  My only other beef with this movie is one that I have with all Ocean-centric films, it is at times hard to visualy follow, unluss you see it at the I-MAX.  I understand that most scenes are shot to portray the lack of clarity that is present during gale-force winds and giant waves, but there has to be a happy medium so that the viewer does not lose the interest necessary to sell the more important aspects of the movie (i.e. plot and character.)  So, despite Costner’s innability to once again sell me on his worth as an actor in anything other than a comedic, down-on-his-luck athlete (Bull Durham, Tin Cup), I found that I was interested in the characters and following them to the easily predicted conclusion of their story.