No Bad Days (2008)

_**Spare-change Indie about treasure-hunting on the Yucatan Peninsula**_ The sister (Heather Storm) of a lost archeologist ventures to the Yucatan Peninsula to find her, hooking up with a lost soul beach bum (Protasio) who holds some surprises. Unfortunately a ring of cutthroat treasure-hunters has something to do with the missing trio of excavators. Michael Madsen plays the leader of the ring while Keith David has a cameo. Richard Tyson is also on hand as one of the members of the archeological team. The curiously-titled “No Bad Days” (2008) was wisely retitled “Lost Treasure of the Maya.” It’s a micro-budget Indie that combines elements of “King Solomon’s Mines” (1985) with “Into the Blue 2: The Reef” (2009), but it’s not as campy as the former or as serious as the latter, not to mention the budget prevents it from being anywhere near as effective as those entertaining treasure-hunting adventures. I guess you could call this a vanity movie of star Protasio, who co-wrote the script along with director David Murphy. Protasio makes for a quality protagonist and his ripped physique is inspiring (in a “get in better shape” way). Storm is also good in the role of the annoying-but-amusing hot blonde. I was impressed by the scenic Yucatan locations (ocean, shores, jungles, etc.) and, especially, the authentic caves & natural pools with superb lighting. The score’s notable too. The director/writer is proficient with practically everything except dialogues, including sound, especially concerning the less experienced cast members. If you can get past that glaring flaw and appreciate small-budget Indies, there are several entertaining elements. The film runs 1 hour, 38 minutes, and was shot in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. GRADE: C-/C