It’s time! As we near the end of the year, and the nights are drawing in our thoughts turn to the summer, and the long sandy beach therein. And the lifeguards who, clad in tight-fitting swimwear pounding down said beach in slow motion, ready to pluck errant swimmers from depths of the cruel sea. It’s Baywatch time!
Those of us who grew up in the 80s will remember the Saturday afternoon ritual of watching (or conscientiously neglecting to watch) the ITV series which gave the world a bare-chested David Hasslehoff and puberty-rocket Pamela Anderson. It was ridiculous, borderline obscene and we as Brits loved it. And as the marketing potential for nostalgia has increased hugely in the last decade it’s time to bring it all back for a big screen outing.
The iconic red swimsuits are there, as is Hasslehoff himself, but the real draw here is Dwayne Johnson. The Rock has the body of a Greek God and a smile that could charm the face off of Ebeneezer Scrooge himself. His magnetism gives the movie a fair amount of propulsion and with a mostly shirtless Zac Efron and Alexandra Daddario along for the ride Paramount must be confident of a decent return at the box office.
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The film’s narrative is simplicity itself. An oil tycoon (Priyanka Chopra) wants to buy the beach – the lifeguards plan to stop her. Cue hard rock montages, Hollywood Spring Break scenes of hedonism, and much flailing in the water. No-one is expecting Kafka on the Shore and The Rock and Co. are more than capable of making the most of the silliness on offer here.
Baywatch the movie is set for release on May 19th, 2017,
Here’s the new trailer in all its glory.
