While the film was channeling to be "Top Guardian" at times, I liked Kevin Costner's performance, and tolerated Ashton Kutcher's presence (but he had good chemistry with Melissa Sagemiller, his love interest). The basic storyline (what it takes to make it through the Coast Guard AST school to qualified for rescue missions) borrows the best from the Karate Kid films (and others with similar student-teacher joustabouts), but it does run on far too long, at times I thought I was watching a 4-hour mini-series, while other parts of the film flew by (mainly the training sequences).
I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.
Just a sidenote: