Into The Blue

I readily admit that I wasn't expecting a whole lot out of this Into The Blue. In the end, it is only a little less shallow than the water in the kiddie pool. However, for two hours, I was transported to the sun, surf and sand of the Bahamas. In the middle of winter, this was quite a good thing.

Into The Blue has a storyline that focuses on the relationships between the four main characters. Paul Walker plays Jared, a stereotypical "down on his luck" American living down in the Bahamas. His steamy girlfriend is Sam, played by Jessica Alba. Scott Caan and Ashley Scott round out the other couple who come down to the islands to visit.

The plot is centered around a sunken treasure find off of a coral reef. What follows is a tale as old as time where the individuals have to choose their own path through the temptations of greed. While this has all been done before many times, the story is almost believable, and the dialogue is reasonably well done; at least it is not insulting. The second half of the movie was quite tense. Not in a suspenseful sort of way, but more of a waiting for the elevator to fall after the cable is cut. Trust me, you'll at least be near the edge of your seat.

The notable part of Into The Blue is the underwater cinematography. There are extended scenes with minimal to no dialogue featuring the creatures of the deep and the characters. The music is supportive, and not distracting from the experience. While not quite "shark week" worthy, there are several scenes with sharks that I enjoyed quite a bit. The underwater portions were a notch better than the usual for a Hollywood flick of this genre.

In my opinion, Into The Blue was enjoyable entertainment. It will be forgotten in a few months to be sure. It won't win any Academy Awards either. If you just want a two hour escape to the Bahamas, some beautiful scenery, and a simple plot, this may be just the ticket. With snow on the way, this may be just what we all need.

Overall Grade: B