Into the Blue

Directed by John Stockwell, Into the Blue details the violence that ensues after a group of friends (Paul Walker’s Jared, Jessica Alba’s Sam, Scott Caan’s Bryce, and Ashley Scott’s Amanda) stumble upon a sunken plane filled with cocaine. It’s promising subject matter that’s employed to periodically watchable yet ultimately underwhelming effect by Stockwell, as the filmmaker, armed with Matt Johnson’s screenplay, delivers an erratically-paced thriller that fares best in its engaging, agreeable opening half hour – with the picture’s compelling atmosphere heightened by its appealing scenery and raft of affable performances. (Josh Brolin’s appreciatively smarmy turn as the movie’s villain remains an obvious highlight, ultimately.) And while the picture contains a handful of legitimately exciting sequences, Into the Blue eventually progresses into a needlessly overstuffed midsection that feels like it could (and should) have been streamlined considerably – with the proliferation of silly digressions ultimately wreaking havoc on the picture’s momentum and ensuring that it peters out considerably in the buildup to its violent climax. The final result is a hit-and-miss endeavor that has absolutely no business running almost two hours (!), and it’s clear, ultimately, that Into the Blue generally feels like it could (and should) be so much better.

** out of ****