Kevin Costner, and Ashton Kutcher, two of Hollywood's greats (both veteran and newcomer) join forces to pay tribute to the unsung heroes of the United States Coast Guard, in the Guardian.

Costner plays Ben Randall, a highly decorated rescue swimmer who patrols the waters of Northern Alaska and routinely saves the lives of fishermen and boating enthusiasts by plucking them from the icy cold waters. Randall is a master of his craft, and Costner a master of his, as he perfectly portrays the experience and knowledge of this seasoned veteran. Randall while on a mission to save some fishermen, ends up having to rescue himself. Debris from the downed vessel is propelled into his crew's helicopter and all aboard are killed except for his friend. Randall fight's to keep them both alive, but his crew mate and best friend perishes while waiting the night for their own rescue.

Put on leave due to his injuries, Randall is asked to teach the next class at 'A' School, which is the Coast Guard's equivalent to Navy Seals training. Costner once again at his best, and shows us again why he is one of the greatest actors working today. Among his class of raw recruits is standout Jake Fischer (played by standout actor Ashton Kutcher) who excells at virtually every aspect of the school's training, except for one. Team work.

It turns out that both Randall and Fischer share a nightmarish past and have both lost loved ones, and more importantly team members. Their common bond slowly forms the foundation for an uneasy relationship but eventually the master and the student become like father and son. The exchanges between Costner and Kutcher throughout are nothing short of perfection.... they make you laugh, cheer, and in some cases move you to tears. The Guardian is all about acting and story my friends.

Like most movies involving military style themes, the Guardian provides relentless action, suspense, and thrills, and shares with you the tedious training that the Coast Guard rescue swimmers must endure in order to not only graduate but succeed at their chosen position. What separates the Guardian from other films, is the performances of the cast, most notably again, Coster and Kutcher who are at their best throughout. One of the greatest things about Costner is how he is able to put his ego aside time and again to showcase the story rather than himself.... a trait all too common in Hollywood these days. It is clear that his goal during the production of the Guardian was making sure the picture came first.... much like every other project he's been involved with in his amazing career.

I'm just fucking with you. This movie blew ass.

Hamlin Grade: 3

Timothy Dalton is the one true James Bond,
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