Into the Blue DVD Review:

Even though as a film critics we are supposed to go into each film with an open mind, it must be no shock to hear that trailers and posters often leave us with a bad taste in our mouths long before entering the theater. Once this happens it is an uphill battle to get a good review. Looking at the colorful DVD cover for Into the Blue which features the intense and tan looking Paul Walker and Jessica Alba, I’m slightly embarrassed to say that I believe it to be a good film. I went into the film expecting The Fast and the Furious in the water, which is not too much of a stretch from what it is, but something about it captured my attention. There is a certain element of silliness when dialogue is spoken, but as gorgeous as the film is, and as intense as some of the action within it is, the film easily holds you to your seat in anticipation and wonder. Even when the ultimate outcome is somewhat predictable, the ride (and it is a ride!) is enjoyable.

Paul Walker and Jessica Alba are dating dreamers. They are living the life in tropical waters, diving with the hopes of discovering hidden treasures and sunken pirate ships. With the equipment they have it is nearly impossible, but chance would have it that they have the use of their friend’s boat when he comes to visit them, and they stumble across a pirate ship. The only problem is that they also find a private plane in the water near the ship, and it is filled with drugs. They decide to try and verify the pirate ship before they tell anyone about the plane. When the owner of the drugs hears that they might know of its location, they find that they might be risking more than they bargained for.

Director John Stockwell (Blue Crush) obviously knows his way around the ocean, and each scene in the water is used to show the beauty. Not one shot is wasted, whether it is to show the amazingly blue water, colorful reef, or Alba in a skimpy bathing suit. The camera lingers on the beauty of the ocean and Alba’s fit body blatantly telling the audience that he is aware that these are the main reasons to watch the film. When the action starts, it is a different story, and suddenly the camera is fueled by testosterone, but this is one of those rare movies that are able to keep your attention before and after the action as well.

The cover art for the DVD is almost neon with its bright blues and oranges, so that it is certain to jump off the shelves, begging to be noticed. It doesn’t hurt to have two attractive actors scantily clad on the cover either. This seems to be the theme, because the menu opens with Alba swimming and moving her body in a way that will get the teens riled, and then jumps quickly into action packed scenes as you choose what feature to watch.

The DVD’s special features include a director’s commentary by John Stockwell, which is interesting at times, although slightly too technical for this kind of film. There is also a featurette, Diving Deeper into the Blue, which has the look of a quick promotional video that might have been made to be shown before the film was released as a way to get audiences in the theater. There are some really good interviews when the featurette slows down. There are also deleted scenes and screen tests. The screen tests can be somewhat entertaining and educational, but the deleted scenes are mostly useless. They are just filler between the scenes that are more entertaining. None of the action or flesh was left out of the theatrical cut.



Ryan Izay

In the Bahamas, dive instructor Jared (Walker) could dream of nothing better than searching the ocean floor for the hidden sunken treasure but he never had the funds to even start. When his best friend Bryce (Caan) arrives in the Caribbean with access to a boat, Jared sees this as his chance to try and find something he can put a claim to. When they actually find a priceless treasure, it just happens to be located next to a plane wreak full of drugs and the drug dealer who lost them is searching the area to get them back.

Action movies set on the water have been very hit or miss but does ‘Into the Blue’ have what it takes to keep its head afloat or will it sink without a trace?

Action, adventure and the Caribbean combined with beautiful people and you have all the makings of a hit but audiences expect a bit more for their money these days. While the sight of Jessica Alba and Paul Walker wearing almost nothing in the tropical sun will appeal to both sexes, there also needs to be an element of plot and fortunately ‘Into the Blue’ has one, even though it may be slightly clichéd in parts.

With over six billion dollars worth of treasure lying undiscovered on the ocean floor, divers all over the world dream of finding something that could bring instant fame and fortune. The lead character in this movie is no different but his passion is not all consuming. He is grounded by his girlfriend Sam, who enjoys it for the adventure and spending time with Jared than for the money but it is his opportunistic best friend Bryce and his latest girlfriend Amanda that change all this. The discovery of the find and plane containing the drugs in same area of seabed leaves Jared with a moral dilemma. Does he sell the drugs to fund the search of the find or does he report the downed plane to the authorities? Of course nothing is that simple and that is when the action and danger begins.

If you are going to base your story in Caribbean you are not going to populate your cast with ugly people. Both Jessica Alba and Paul Walker are considered two of the most attractive people working in Hollywood today and putting them in swimwear for 90% of the movie is exactly what both red-blooded males and females want to see. Despite their amazing good looks however both of them can still act and make Sam and Jared very appealing characters. Joining them are Scott Caan and Ashley Scott, who also look good in swimwear and can also act, making the simple and clichéd premise and dialogue of the film a lot better than it should be. Throw in a good performance from a very facially hairy Josh Brolin and you have a decent ensemble cast.

‘Into the Blue’ is a movie that is surprisingly enjoyable even though the plot is predictable. The presence of Jessica Alba, Ashley Scott, Paul Walker and Scott Caan wearing almost nothing in the Caribbean sun will delight both female and male viewers and certainly makes the film all the more watchable. The action sequences and underwater photography are also very good allowing movie to make a bigger splash than it should have.

Star Rating = * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 with Dolby Digital 5.1, the movie is presented well.

BONUS FEATURES

Audio Commentary from Director John Stockwell
The man at the helm talks passionately about his latest movie in a commentary that is a decent listen. Single person commentary tack are always difficult to listen to and for those people doing them but John Stockwell does manage to keep your interest throughout, regaling you will stories from the production. He highlights the problems filming underwater and what his young cast had to go through to make the film. This is a good commentary, especially as it is from a single contributor.

Diving Deeper Into the Blue (20.34 mins)
Director John Stockwell, director of photography Peter Zuccarini and stars Jessica Alba, Ashley Scott, Paul Walker, Scott Caan, Tyson Beckford and Josh Brolin take you behind the scenes of the production of ‘Into the Blue’. Here we see how the cast and crew prepared for the underwater scenes and the presence of sharks in the water. We also hear about the characters and the story, with get actor talking about their parts and what they got out of making the film.

Deleted Scenes (17.41 mins)
Entitled ‘Saving Connor’, ‘Loading the truck’, ‘Beach house dive partners’, ‘Amanda on the boat’, ‘Sea Robin to the rescue’, ‘ATV ride’, ‘Roy talks with Jared’, ‘Ambush at the trailer’ and ‘Bryce at the airport’, these deleted scenes have optional commentary by director John Stockwell.

Screen Tests (5.32 mins)
Watch audition screen test for Scott Caan and Tyson Beckford as they try and secure their parts.

OVERALL

MGM’s DVD presentation of ‘Into the Blue’ is pretty good. The featurette is informative and fun and the commentary is good for a single person effort. Fans of the film will be very pleased with this DVD offering.

Jamie Kelwick