Summary
If you saw the prequel movie, then the series offers more of that. If you didn’t, well… you’re better off.
If, like me, you had the distinct displeasure of watching the prequel movie to this new teen-focused Netflix Original series, creatively titled Malibu Rescue: The Movie, then you have my condolences. You’ve also rendered virtually anything I say here completely invalid because this eight-part series is, really, more of the same: same cast, same tone, same rivalries, same everything. And that’s as much of a recommendation as you’re ever going to get. Sorry to absolve myself of all my critical responsibilities here, but that’s just the way things are. If you liked the film, you’ll like Malibu Rescue Season 1; if you didn’t, you won’t.
The important question, I suppose, is whether or not your kids will like it. And that’s a slightly more difficult question to answer. The cast is, admittedly, pretty winsome, especially Ricardo Hurtado as the rebellious lead, Tyler, whose job is essentially to be handsome and promote a can-do spirit in the face of horribly overwhelming upper-class smugness. The show, like the movie, rests on his ability to do that, and he’s pretty decent at it. And the undercurrent of underdog spirit rising up against privilege is always a winner.
Ultimately, though, this doesn’t matter, does it? Rarely is any review as redundant as this one. The played-out genre tropes are as present here as they were in the movie, which was basically an extended episode of the series in itself, so you really couldn’t say that things have been improved in any measurable sense; they’re the same, just longer. That length is a good thing, I suppose; at 20-odd minutes an episode Malibu Rescue Season 1 isn’t overwhelming, and there’s a bit more room for all the expected bits and bobs that the target demographic will want to lap up.
The film doing most of the character-building legwork was probably a good idea, all things considered, since it allows the series to pick up right where things left off and not waste any time. The kids will like that, and the kids will probably like everything else, which is why as much as I wish I could I really can’t get mad at it. It’s rubbish, granted, but I’m nearly 30 and I’m miserable anyway. You have a better sense of what your kids like than I do. Maybe give it a try.
