Swimsuit season is getting a send-up this year with Baywatch, a film version of the kitschy ‘90s television series about lifeguards and their illustrious slow-motion running. To be fair, the television series was considered a drama, but the cultural attitude towards it was one of silly objectification, and that seems to be what the film version of Baywatch focuses on. It winks so hard at the audience that it’s hard not to chuckle, even if you do it in a dismissive, slightly perturbed way.
Not everyone will be down for Baywatch’s frivolity, but there’s value in a project knowing precisely what it is (look at the Fast and Furious franchise). I doubt anyone is going to walk into theaters and not get exactly what they were expecting from Baywatch, namely an uber-charming Dwayne Johnson and a lot of swimsuit-clad beautiful people.
And not to get too serious about this summertime fun, but it’s nice to see a blockbuster take the proof that Fast and Furious provides and not get hung up on the ethnicity or gender of its cast. Audiences shell out money for films that deliver what they promise, no matter who is on-screen. Besides, I didn’t seen any uproar when Priyanka Chopra took over a part originally written for a man, probably because that’s not what Baywatch is about. This film and its existing fan base knows that, and that’s probably the only way to make this garish material work.
Baywatch is directed by Seth Gordon and stars Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, and Priyanka Chopra. It will be released in the U.S. on May 25th, 2017 and in the U.K. on May 29th, 2017. For international release dates, click here.
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