The Guardian (2006)
Average Rating: 5.2/10
Reviews Counted: 145
Fresh: 54 | Rotten: 91
The Coast Guard gets its chance for a heroic movie tribute, but The Guardian does it no justice, borrowing cliche after cliche from other (and better) military branch movies.
Average Rating: 5.2/10
Critic Reviews: 37
Fresh: 12 | Rotten: 25
The Coast Guard gets its chance for a heroic movie tribute, but The Guardian does it no justice, borrowing cliche after cliche from other (and better) military branch movies.
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Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 402,530
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Movie Info
A decorated Coast Guard search and rescue specialist still haunted by the death of his teammates during a disastrous mission off the coast of Alaska is charged with the task of training the next generation of Coast Guard rescue swimmers in director Andrew Davis' ocean-bound adventure drama. Ben Randall (Kevin Costner) was the best swimmer of his graduating class, but upon surfacing as the sole survivor of an Alaskan rescue mission attempted during a Category Three storm, his outlook on life has
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Cast
-
Kevin Costner
Ben Randall -
Ashton Kutcher
Jake Fischer -
Sela Ward
Helen Randall -
Melissa Sagemiller
Emily Thomas -
Clancy Brown
Capt. William Hadley -
Omari Hardwick
Carl Billings -
Alex Daniels
Wild Bill -
Daniel J. Molthen
Co-Pilot Wakefield -
Andrew Schanno
Pilot Mitchell -
Adam De La Pena
Benjamin Reyes -
Joe Arquette
Co-Pilot Antunez -
Gary Billburg
Julian Zankich -
Joshua Mitcheltree
Mitcheltree -
Rusty Tennant
Mover #1 -
James Barnes
Doctor #1 -
Stephanie Barnes
Doctor #2 -
Andrea Martynowski
Ops Commander -
Ron Fien
Wickham -
Nevada Smith
Co-Pilot Krauss -
Jay Bingham
Ops Tech -
Shane Sweitzer
Swimmer Nelson -
John Heard
Capt. Frank Larson -
Neal McDonough
Jack Skinner -
Joseph "Butch" Flythe
Butch Flythe -
Robert E. Watson
Robert Watson -
John Hall
John Hall -
Johnell Gainey
Johnell Lewis -
Jeff Loftus
Executive Officer -
Brian Geraghty
Billy Hodge -
Dulé Hill
Ken Weatherly -
Shelby Fenner
Lindsey Cate -
Michael Rady
Nick Zingaro -
Peter Gail
Doran Danny -
Brian Patrick Wade
Mitch Lyons -
Benny Ciaramello
Benny Partida -
Travis Willingham
Travis Finely -
Matt Laub
Matt Stokes -
Matthew L. Rucker
Matthew Bunch -
Tanica Jamison
Tanica Treadwell -
Paul Wallace
Paul Metz -
Tilky Jones
Tilky Flint -
Megan Melgaard
Megan Hyde -
Scott Mueller
Scott Reeves -
Jacob Stevens
Jacob Pavich -
Austin Lash
Austin Vogel -
Mark Gangloff
Mark Colby -
Damon Lipari
Damon Bennett -
Roger Edwards
Rober Cable -
Gregory J. Barnett
Pilot Victim -
Kenny G. Krauss
Groom -
Gioacchino Brucia
Waiter -
J.D. Evermore
Jailer -
Bryce Cass
Manny -
Bonnie Bramlett
Maggie McGlone -
Richard Davis
Guitar -
James Burton
Guitar -
Tony Brown
Bass -
Wendell Wayne Stewart
Drums -
Chris "Hambone" Cameron
Keyboards -
Mark Ohlsen
Trumpet -
Gene Barge
Sax -
Steve Eisen
Sax -
Josie Aiello
Singer -
Devin Thompson
Singer -
Tina Treadwell
Singer -
Corrine DeGroot
Bartender -
Greg Sproles
Huge Navy Guy -
Ron Dean
Navy Captain -
James Landers
Brandon Molale -
Jesse De Villa
Austin Kincaid, Eric No... -
Leigh Hennessy
Drowing Woman -
Tanner Gill
Husband -
Norm Compton
Sea Captain -
Donald Fisher
Young Crewman -
Tommy Rosales Jr.
Yoshio Iizuka -
Vladimir Tevlovski
Tony Snegoff -
Henry Kingi Jr.
Cave Victim #1 -
Dorian Kingi
Cave Victim #2 -
Deborah Boone
Victim's Aunt -
Roxanne Brooks
Victim's Mother -
Conrad Palmisano
Fishing Boat Captain -
Michael James
Fisherman#1 -
Danny Cosmo Higginbottom
Fisherman #2 -
Gene Hartline
Fisherman #3 -
John Rottger
Survivor
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The Guardian Trailer & Photos
All Critics (152) | Top Critics (39) | Fresh (56) | Rotten (95) | DVD (19)
Kutcher and Costner have a kind of visual chemistry that's just as elusive as the other kind. And the connection and contrast between them remind us that Hollywood isn't as forgiving of older male actors as we like to think.
Top CriticKutcher may soon be ready to anchor a Hollywood sea voyage. But for now, he's still a touch out of his depth.
The Guardian does the job required: nothing more, nothing less, and nothing fancy.
Little about The Guardian will surprise anyone from one scene to the next, though the ride is hardly unpleasant and the story is generous in scope.
The Guardian has the feel of a Sunday feature in a newspaper more than a drama.
Costner is suitably Costneresque -- that is, low-key, stoic, and capable of a wry turn here or there.
There's nothing particularly wrong with it, it's just very tedious. Originality doesn't seem to be important and maybe it doesn't have to be as The Guardian is dealing with something true but what that something is the filmmakers seem to know.
"The Guardian" is a pro-military propaganda movie from Hollywood that attempts to mask its agenda behind the life-saving rhetoric of Coast Guard rescue swimmers.
It was pollution.
Waterlogged rescue flick is nothing new.
There is a breadth of quality about the acting, including a fine performance from Sela Ward as Ben's estranged wife - making a lot more of her role than her meagre scripting suggests.
Overly bloated action drama that is predictable and drawn out.
Though the structure and conventions are familiar, the dialogue is believable enough that for the span of 139 minutes we're willing to forget that these are actors mouthing lines.
Will definitely rescue some moviegoers from the post-summer doldrums, but someone should have told Davis that there's going to be casualities if he leaves audiences in the water that long.
The Guardian isn't as boring as Annapolis and SWAT, but it's still a feature-length training montage about kids learning the importance of taking it to the limit.
...an old-fashioned, irresistibly earnest piece of work...
A well-judged performance by Kevin Costner brings drama to this actioner.
I'd have given it an A-. But it goes on & on, off the deep end into the even hokier. But since it choked me up earlier on, I'm calling it a weak B .
...neither sincerity nor big-name stars are enough to save this mundane, by-the-numbers production from a watery grave.
The Guardian is an ordinary movie about extraordinary people.
This character-driven drama about redemption feels fresh, mostly due to good storytelling and two fine lead performances
Audience Reviews for The Guardian
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Capt. William Hadley: There is a legend of a man who lives beneath the sea. He is a fisher of men, the last hope of all those who have been left behind. Many survivors claim to have felt his gripping hands beneath them; pushing them up to the surface; whispering strength until help could arrive. But this, of course, is only a legend.
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Foreign Titles
- The Guardian (2006) (DE)
- The Guardian (2006) (CA)
