i wish i know what to make of a movie like this . it seem to be divide into two part action sequence and personal drama ashore . it follow ashton kutsher through survival swimmer school and guide by master chief kevin costner and then to alaska where a couple of spectacular rescue take place and the last resulting in death . i must say that the scene on the beach strike me a so stereotypical in so many way that they should be barnacle encrust . a typical bar room fight between navy guy and coast guardsman ( puddle pirate ) . the experienced old timer costner who be and a an elderly bar tender tell him and marry to the coast guard . the old chief who keep try to prove to himself that he still nineteen . the neglected ex wife ashore to whom kostner pay a farewell visit . the seemingly sadistic demand place on the swimmer by the instructor and all in pursuit of a lofty goal . the gifted young man hobble by a troubled past . the problem be that we have see it all before . if it kevin costner here and it clint eastwood or john wayne or lou gosset jr. or vigo mortenson or robert deniro elsewhere . and the climactic scene have element draw shamelessly from the perfect storm and dead calm . none of it be fresh and none of the old stereotyped character and situation be handle with any originality . it work best a a kind of documentary of what go on in the swimmer school and what could happen afterward and even that a little weak because we do not get much in the way of instruction . it mostly personal conflict and romance and and tension about wash out . it a shame because the u. s. coast guard be rather a noble outfit and it official mission be the safety of life and property at sea . in war time it be transfer to the navy department and serf in combat role . in world war ii and the coast guard even manage to have a medal of honor winner in it rank . but and again and we do not learn much about that . we do not really learn much about anything . the film devolve into a succession of visual display and not too much else . a disappointment .