Blue Crush is not quite a hang ten movie-wise, more like a hang-five. A trio of appealing and attractive lead actresses and some terrific surfing footage help the film rise above a very predictable screenplay and some headache inducing music video style editing and directing.

As the clock ticks down to the Pipe Masters surf competition on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, more is at stake for young Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth) that the pressure of competing in one of the world's most dangerous, aggressive and male-dominated sports. She has a few personal issues to deal with first: raising her younger sister (Mika Boorem) after their mother leaves them; a paralyzing fear of failure and defeat and, because there is always room for it, a romance with a pro football player (Matthew Davis) that threatens to make her throw her dream away in order to become a "trophy wife". But with the help of her close friends Eden (Michelle Rodriguez) and Lena (Sanoe Lake), she just might have what it takes to succeed.

If you're thinking that you've seen it all before, you are correct. The screenplay by Lizzy Weiss and Stockwell is as predictable as they come, rarely missing the chance to exploit a cliché along the way. Teenage girls, the film's target audience, probably will care less about the unoriginality on display. Seeing a film where the female characters triumph will be more than enough to win them over. But for the rest of us, counting ceiling tiles between surfing scenes might be a decent alternative. Stockwell's overuse of MTV style editing and trickery gets on one's nerves pretty fast as well. Again, the target audience probably will see nothing wrong with this. For us "old folks", however, bring your Dramamine.

Blue Crush does have a few things going for it. Bosworth, Rodriguez and Lake may not be remembered come Oscar time, but they are appealing and share a good onscreen chemistry. They're easy on the eyes as well. Don King (who worked on Cast Away) and Sonny Miller (In God's Hands)'s surfing footage is another visual delight. Shot right on the open waves of Oahu, King and Miller's lensing gives the viewer an opportunity to experience the thrill and danger of riding a wave without having to inhale a gallon of ocean water.

Blue Crush is not a bad film, merely a so-so one not worth your ten bucks. That lovely trio of ladies and the gorgeous photography are going to look just as good at home on DVD as a rental in a couple of months for a lot less money.

  share with:  Facebook | Digg | other sites