According to esteemed Variety critic Joe Leydon, The Guardian (Touchstone, 9.29) is “a shrewdly updated version of classic (and not-so-classic) military-themed pics about grizzled, blunt-spoken vets who transform cocksure hotheads into coolly efficient professionals.” Right away you’re thinking about seeing it — it sounds routine but mildly appealing — but four or five months from now on DVD. “With Kevin Costner well cast as a demanding mentor haunted by past failures, and Ashton Kutcher surprisingly effective as a brash recruit dealing with his own demons, the overlong (139 minutes) but involving drama has obvious cross-generational appeal. Add some exciting rescue-at-sea sequences, and you have the potential for an early fall breakout hit.” Leydon’s distinction is duly noted: he doesn’t say that The Guardian has the makings of a hit, but the potential for one.