Review of Blue Crush (2002) by Dena U — 24 Mar 2009

"And when I tell you to go, you gotta go. You gotta paddle your little heart out. You can't hesitate, you can't pull back, you can't hold back. No fear." - Kate Skarratt.

Blue Crush is a very enjoyable and touching tale with spectacular waves that will have you screaming at the screen for everyone to get the hell out of the water. It starts off badly, with a rather psychedelic flash back sequence that shows us the traumatic surfing experience that haunts Anne Marie and is the reason she has been out of the professional circuit for the last few years. But very soon the characters begin to win us over. Kate Bosworth gives a great performance and perfectly portrays the mixture of adrenaline, exhaustion, vulnerability and absolute terror that anyone facing mother natures at her most magnificent would feel. The waves are the most spectacular you will see on screen, with stunning camera work and sound. The surf sequences are absolutely gripping. On land the movie holds up just as well. Eventhough many ideas and sequences are lifted directly from a variety of other movies, they are handled in a fresh way, and have plenty of laugh out loud moments. The supporting cast is uneven, from the two brilliant big and black American Footballers to the dubious use of real life surfers and locals. However this seems to add a realism that actually works well as these few scenes can feel like the link shots used between the action in real surfing videos. The plot is not great, and is has been accused of being a mindless sports/action movie that uses scantily clad girls for titillation. But a great movie to get you in the mood for summer.