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I had no real expectations for this one; it just slightly interested me, so the start of the film really surprised me with its intensity. The first section of the film is excellent, as is the final act; it's just the long middle part that lets it down slightly. Most of the film - i.e. the part between the really good bits - focuses on the training to be a coastguard. It's not bad, it's just painfully predictable and familiar, and devoid of any particular thrills. Kevin Costner is decent, and it's good to see him back on the big screen, and Ashton Kutcher surprised me a little with his low-key, believable performance. The main problem was the length, which was probably a good 20 minutes too long. It did manage to sustain my interest, just about, but I was very pleased to get back to the rescuing near the end. The rescues (of which there are four) are all extremely well staged, with very good stormy sea effects, and get pretty tense. The final one is especially compelling. It's the presence and quality of these bits that pushes it above mediocre.
The summary
Extremely predictable and too long, The Guardian is just about saved (ahem) by some excellent ocean rescue sequences.
