Review of Blue Crush 2 (2011) by Sean H — 03 Feb 2012

I agree with another reviewer: for a direct-to-DVD film, this really isn't half-bad. As can be expected, the surf footage is awesome and fun to watch. The lifestyle presented here is irresistible and endearing. The movie does have a rough start with the predictable teen-parent melodrama that sets off our protagonist, Dana ("You don't know who I am!" "You need to go to college and be normal!" "But that's not me! I'm wild and free!"-- you know what I'm talking about.) And of course, there is the obligatory resident butt-hole, Tara, who hates Dana and everyone for no real reason other than that's what her character is supposed to do to create conflict.

When it comes to movies like this I try not to think too hard about stuff but I can't resist this time. Given the tight-knit, cuddly/hippie environment that the surfers inhabit, I find it difficult to imagine that someone with Tara's personality would be able to live seamlessly among them and thrive and be welcome. She's a troublemaker, she's already made an enemy out of Pushy by screwing her out of a position on the Roxy surfing team, etc. In other words, she's basically the exact opposite of everybody else. She doesn't fit in with the "family dynamic"... so WHY is she there? Why do they continue to let someone like her live with them? Honestly, this is never really established or explained. I guess the film needs a clear antagonist to completely work. *shrugs*.

I kind of maybe liked this sequel better than the first. Yeah, there's some predictable moments (Dana's issues with her dad, her rivalry with Tara, her domination of Jeffrey's Bay waves, Pushy's competition win) but I really felt there was more of a surfer movie vibe to this one as compared to the original. I felt like there was way more surf action. It isn't totally bogged down by an uninteresting romance with a uninteresting guy, like in the first one. There's romance here, of course, but it's more engaging and cute. We're more free to just watch a bunch of people surf and have fun in a gorgeous locale. So in that sense, I think Blue Crush 2 beats its predecessor.