‘Baywatch’ Washes Up on Home Entertainment in August

By a Front Row Features Staff Reporter

Baywatch Extended Cut

The BAYWATCH Extended Cut arrives in a Blu-ray Combo Pack on August 29. CR: Paramount Home Media Distribution

“Baywatch” makes waves with a new extended version, featuring outrageous footage not seen in theaters, on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack and Blu-ray Combo Pack Tuesday Aug. 29, from Paramount Home Media Distribution.  Fans can dive in two weeks early on Digital HD Aug. 15.

When a dangerous crime wave hits the beach, legendary Lt. Mitch Buchannon (Dwayne Johnson, “The Fate of the Furious”) leads his elite squad of badass lifeguards on a mission to prove you don’t have to wear a badge to save the bay. Joined by a trio of hot-shot recruits including former Olympian Matt Brody (Zac Efron, “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising”), they’ll ditch the surf and go deep undercover to take down a ruthless businesswoman (Priyanka Chopra, TV’s “Quantico”), whose devious plans threaten the future of the bay.

Front Row Features film critic Heather Turk called theatrical release, “pure summer fun. It has its cheesy moments, but surprisingly it’s not as over the top or gratuitous as one might think. One of the film’s biggest surprises is that, despite its R rating, there’s no female nudity, which many fans might have thought would be a given considering the TV show is famous for its many bouncing bosom shots. For female fans hoping the tables have turned, there’s no nude shots of Johnson or Efron either, although the two do compete in a strong man competition of sorts that shows off Efron’s freakishly buff body.”

The “Baywatch” 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Combo Packs include both the extended and theatrical versions of the film and are loaded with special features, including interviews with the sensational cast, a look at the “Baywatch” legacy, behind-the-scenes footage of the spectacular stunts, as well as deleted and extended scenes.  The film also boasts a Dolby Atmos soundtrack remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead.

The Blu-ray contains both the original theatrical version as well as the extended edition of the film in high definition. Bonus content includes the featurettes “Meet the Lifeguards,” “Continuing the Legacy,” “Stunts & Training, deleted and extended scenes. The DVD edition contains the theatrical version of the film in standard definition.