Into the Blue (DVD, 2005, Full Frame)

Here's a cool action film that goes down smooth as summer vacation, full of gorgeous turquoise-colored underwater scenery, bronzed bodies, and a nice level of free diving adrenaline. Paul Walker and Jessica Alba are a pair of in-love Bahamas-dwelling naturalists; she wrangles sharks at a local water park, he shepherds tourist scuba divers around the local reefs. Their beach-bum tranquility gets a jolt when a fast-talking buddy (Scott Caan) and his drug-user girlfriend (Ashley Scott) come to visit. While out on a dive, the foursome uncover what could be a dagger from an 18th-century pirate ship--but nearby there also happens to be a downed plane laden with cocaine. Moral quandaries ensue, bad guys get wind of the drugs, guns come out, and the plot thickens. It's based on THE DEEP, a 1977 film that tried to capitalize on the JAWS phenomenon of the time but disappointed audiences by forgetting the sharks. This version is a much more exciting film and features shark attacks and real sharks swimming among the actors, thereby righting a 32-year-old wrong. Director John Stockwell also did BLUE CRUSH (2001), so it's a given there's no skimping on the beautiful scenery, both above and below the water line. With the gorgeous bikini-clad Alba undulating through the water like a mermaid, this movie becomes, in its own unique way, a perfect 10. Ralph Lauren model Tyson Beckford is suitably intense as a shady club owner, and Josh Brolin is a sleazy boat captain.