By the looks of the poster for the summer film “Blue Crush,” it looks like just another surf movie starring cute girls in small bikinis, but its much more than that. While the script may seem pretty presumptuous at times, the cinematography easily surpasses the small potato mistakes director John Stockwell might have made.
The initial story revolves around Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth), a parentless young adult who doesnt let anything get between her and her surfboard except, of course, the horrible flashbacks of the one time she nearly drowned three years ago at a major surf competition. Lately shes been fine, with the help of her two best friends Eden and Lena (Michelle Rodriguez and Sanoe Lake), who have been there throughout the whole tragedy. Ever since Anne Maries mother left, the two girls have been by her side helping her train for the upcoming Surf Championship and take care of her younger and more impressionable sister Penny (Mika Boorem).
Unfortunately for this young trio of actresses, the rave reviews being given to this movie arent for them, but instead for the men that shot the film. The ocean visuals and cinematic stylings of film cinematographer David Hennings are simply amazing. Hennings and his camera crew showed amazing courage by jumping into the crashing waves of Hawaii to film the footage you see on the screen. Their footage from the inside the waves is so outstanding that you almost forget about the mediocre script and just sit back to enjoy the remarkable surfing on the shores of Maui. This movie is quite different from others of the summer in that the film is actually better than the trailer.
“Blue Crush” may seem like nothing more than a modern day beach party, but it definitely overcomes that. With riveting visuals and a sometimes enjoyable script, Blue Crush is undeniably an impressive trip to the movies.
3.5 / 5 Stars
Starring: Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, Sanoe Lake, Matthew Davis, Mika Boorem
Director: John Stockwell
