Rating- * * * (3/5)
I have a natural bias against movies that try to highlight a specific sport, particularly extreme sports, and take you inside the world of the athletes who compete in them. I think the reason is because they usually all have the same cheesy plot points and are never really taken seriously in the production phase, so they end up with bad actors and a worse crew. The thing that separates Blue Crush from the rest of those cheesy surfing/skateboarding/ snowboarding movies is that even though it has a typically cheesy plot, it has some pretty decent acting and some downright good cinematography. The film stars Kate Bosworth as a gorgeous female surfer who catches waves in the early morning and then works as a hotel maid at one of Oahu’s ritziest hotels with her two other surfer-girl buddies, Michelle Rodriguez and Sanoe Lake. Bosworth’s friends are noticeably less attractive than her because, well, she is the hero and we have to like her more than the other ones. The girls live in poverty but somehow manage to stay great looking. But it’s not the scenes of life at home or of working at the hotel that make this movie fun. It is the surfing footage. Even if you are not very into surfing you can’t help but be impressed by some of the waves these girls ride. The pure awesomeness of nature that surfers strive after can really be felt in this film and although we have to endure a somewhat lame storyline in order to get to these scenes, watching them is well worth it. The one credible plot line out of this film is the love interest between Bosworth and Matthew Davis who plays a vacationing NFL quarterback who falls for the surfer girl after watching her ride the tide. Their love story is sweet without being cheesy and both actors do their best work in the film when they are together. But like I said, you shouldn’t see this movie for the drama or intrigue. If you like extreme sports films or nature films this film will probably appeal to you and if you like cheesy, simple plotlines that you might see in a Disney Channel movie then you also might like this film. Otherwise, I can’t say that I recommend this film but I won’t go as far as saying that it was a bad film or that I didn’t enjoy it. Basically, if it sounds interesting, check it out; if it doesn’t sound interesting, don’t worry you’re not missing anything.