Hollywood Product: ‘Baywatch’

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GENRE: Comedy

THE PITCH:B Matt Brody (Zac Efron), a down-and-out Olympic swimmer gets a second chance by joining Mitch Buchannon (Dwayne Johnson) and his team of hotties, ahem b& crime busting, lifeguard team b Baywatch. A remake of the bclassicb syndicated TV series.

MONEY SHOT: The rescue scenes: The above and below water rescues are adrenaline-filled illustrations of how harrowing saving lives can be.

BEST LINE: Mitch shares his suspicions with Sargent Ellerbee (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) about potential drug smuggling on the beach. Ellerbee breaks down Mitchbs job as, bMaking sure swim-happy white people donbt drown.b

DC DIG: Mitch rescues a parasailing beach-goer. While carrying him to safety the man asks, bAre you Batman.b Mitch replies deadpan, bNo, Ibm bigger and browner.bB

MOTION SENSOR: Ronnie (Joss Bass) and Summer (Alexandra Daddario) watch C.J. (Kelly Rohrbach) run in slow motion out of the surf. Summer says, bWhy does it look like shebs running in slow motion?b A stunned Ronnie replies, bYou see it, too?bB

NUMBER OF BAYWATCH RESCUES: Four.

NUMBER OF TIMES ZACH EFRON GETS SAVED: Two.B

TIME AND TIDE: The American Lifeguard Association does not provide a specific time it takes to become a certified beach lifeguard, but they do explain in detail the certifications and physical exams to receive a two-year lifeguard license. Yahoo Answers says it takes roughly a full year.B

LOCATION, LOCATION: B The film was shot in Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, and Miami, Florida; and Savannah and Tybee Beach, Georgia.B

FILM COST: $40 Million.

LIFEGUARD SALARY: While the average is between $28,000-$33,000, lifeguards in Newport Beach, California, made as much as $211,451 in 2010.

SKIN FACTOR: While there is no nudity. It is Baywatch so lots of bikini and bare chest shots. There are few slapstick (pun intended) penis gag scenes (no pun intended) that may not be suitable for young kids.B

ARE SEA URCHINS DEADLY? The long-spined sea urchin featured in the film are poisonous and deadly only if you are allergic. According to LiveAquaria.com, the sting is equal to a bee sting. They do not cause increased adrenaline, lethargy and death as Mitch Buchannon suggests.

BOTTOM LINE: Without ripping the b90s show too harshly, the clever script by writing duo Damian Shannon and Mark Swift (Friday the 13^th, Freddie vs. Jason) provides a wave of in-your-face sexual humor, snark and one-liners to director Seth Gordonbs (Horrible Bosses, Identity Thief) extremely physical film. Skirting the line between homage and spoof, this Baywatch pokes fun at the nonsensical antics the seriesb larger-than-life lifeguards made famous. As in most of his films, Johnsonbs Mitch Buchannon exudes so much machismo and charm itbs literally the comedic beat throughout the film. Zac Efron as the chiseled, bumbling, clueless rookie follows a predictable redemption arc, while other leading characters played by Daddario, Rohrbach, Ilfenesh Hadera (Stephanie Holden), and Bass do an impressive dog paddle to keep things afloat with comical slow-motion beach runs and wickedly funny foreplay. Priyanka Choprabs Victoria Leeds rounds out the cast as the sexy, smart and nefarious villain that knows shebs the bad guy and revels in that fact in every scene. Chopra adds a wicked feminine panache that unfortunately doesnbt get enough screen time to fully develop. As good as this ensemble is, it constantly flips to an outlandish bromance with Efron and Johnson that garners laughs, but at times feels like a dead man lift to make it to the finish line with one too many zingers.

Overall, Baywatch resuscitates this popular franchise with just the right mix of action and comedy to make this hot and raucous summer comedy a delightful splash.

Baywatch: Rated R. 3 stars. 116 minutes. Directed by Seth Gordon. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Priyanka Chopra. Opens May 25.