Who’d have thought a flimsy, witless TV series like Baywatch (1989-’01) could have spawned this boisterous, cheeky comedy? Dwayne Johnson stars as head lifeguard of a Los Angeles County beach patrol, and Zac Efron is the disgraced Olympic swimmer forced to join his team. Their nonstop insults trigger the biggest laughs amid a sea of jokes about penises and cleavage; gay and racial jokes that might have tanked mostly succeed because the multiethnic cast gets the tone right, and the pop culture references are on the money. The crime story, involving drugs and extortion, is boilerplate but gives Priyanka Chopra a chance to shine as a scheming villain. Seth Gordon (Identity Thief, Horrible Bosses) directed.
Baywatch
R • 1 hour 56 min • 2017
