‘Baywatch’ a fun run on the beach, not much else

Is David Hasselhoff finally making his long anticipated comeback? First “Guardians of the Galaxy 2,” and now “Baywatch?” Doubtful. This current tidal wave of projects crossing over TV to movie and movie to TV has been nothing short of overwhelming as of late.

It was inevitable that the red-suited rompers crossed over given the unprecedented global success of the show. Grossing hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of a decade, the brand had been shelved as of late, but it’s back, and you can expect more if Paramount wants to continue making money. With a budget of just under $70 million, the likelihood of success is almost certain. If not in the U.S., then in Germany and Eastern Europe without a doubt (big fans of the original series).

Hasselhoff passes the torpedo buoy to Dwayne Johnson, who plays the legendary beach hero, Mitch Buchanan. He is known and revered on his beach, always vigilant, always helpful, always friendly. The opening credits emphasize that this is his beach, everyone else is just a visitor. Enter hot shot Matt Brody (Zac Efron). He’s been handpicked by the police chief to inject some youthfulness (and abs) to the Baywatch crew. They stumble onto a drug smuggling operation run by the nefarious Victoria Leeds (Priyanka Chopra) and take it upon themselves to get involved in keeping their beach clear of criminals.

Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach and Ilfenesh Hadera play the beach beauties, which, if we’re being honest, are the real draw for the moviegoer, but director Seth Gordon (“Horrible Bosses”) does a tasteful and respectful job avoiding the temptation to exploit their… talents. They get to frolic in their red swimsuits, and run in slow-motion more times than is necessary (not that I’m complaining).

As the film progresses into full action/comedy mode, we begin to realize that this is a true buddy flick more than anything else. Efron and Johnson see their competition and friendship blossom and have tremendous chemistry, showing off their impressive physiques at every opportunity. To counterbalance the abundance of abs and biceps, there’s the doughy Jon Bass who plays Ronnie, the wannabe who makes the team because of his dedication and attitude. It’s a nice touch, and he’s not technically the comic relief, but adds some grounding and normalcy to the rest of the Adonis and Aphrodite beach bods.

The mood of the film is just right. All of the characters (except Efron) take their job as lifeguards dead seriously, and Johnson is a full-blown zealot with a total unawareness of the extent and limitations of his beach authority. It is fast-paced, action packed, and full of raunchy, yet appropriate humor.

Seth Gordon is a favorite director of mine in the genre. He started his career with one of the best comedic documentaries of all-time, “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters,” and moved into mainstream cinematic humor via television, which makes him the perfect pick for a film rooted in a surprisingly light and fun buddy action comedy vibe.

Writers Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon (“Reno 911!”) create more of their trademark potty humor, capitalizing on the hilarity of the male genitalia more often than necessary. Their jokes are sharp, but it’s the delivery by the cast, where each character embraces their respective role and seem to be truly enjoying the process, that keeps the film from sinking. Barely.

Let’s be honest, the unprecedented success of the “Baywatch” brand had more to do with Pamela Anderson’s assets than David Hasselhoff’s acting. It’s fine though, as the lifeguards are all about taking themselves too seriously, saving lives, and looking good doing it.

“Baywatch” is exactly what you would expect, and not much more. Efron and Johnson have great chemistry, and watching it will either make you want to hit the gym, or feel deflated by physical comparison. It’s a fun comedy with decent acting, but the source material lacks any real substance.