Bronzed beach guards of Baywatch are back and ready to raunch, with The Rock in for The Hoff
The jokes are dirtier, the white-knuckle stunts more intense and there’s more flesh on show than in 1990s TV series in this Seth Gordon-directed big-screen version starring Dwayne Johnson, in David Hasselhoff role, and Zac Efron
For a generation of fans, Baywatch was an escapist fantasy that invoked sun, surf and some famously silicone-enhanced stars jogging slo-mo in form-fitting red lycra across the beaches of California.
It drew in a weekly 1.1 billion viewers from 148 countries at its 1990s peak, offering sun without sunburn, golden sand without sandy sandwiches and David Hasselhoff without the hassle.
A new movie starring Dwayne Johnson hits Hong Kong cinemas next Thursday (with preview screenings starting this Thursday), promising a raunchier Baywatch that will succeed where many TV-to-big-screen conversions like The Dukes of Hazzard, CHiPs and Lost in Space have failed.
Johnson, who executive-produced, and director Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses) insisted on aiming for an R-rating (equivalent to Hong Kong’s IIB rating) rather than the more family-friendly PG13 (equivalent to Hong Kong’s IIA rating, because they didn’t want to rein in the edgy humour, strong language and nudity.
The jokes are dirtier, the white-knuckle stunts are more intense and there’s more flesh on show, although – from the lingering shots of Zac Efron’s toned torso to a cringeworthy scene in a mortuary – much of it is male.
The movie follows devoted, overzealous, lifeguard Mitch Buchannon – Johnson taking over from the role made famous on TV by Hasselhoff – as he butts heads with a brash new recruit (Efron) while investigating a drug smuggling ring.
