Blue Crush

BLUE CRUSH

Rating: B

Water. Lots and lots of water.

I generally don't get too excited about upcoming movies. People who get in a lather about the next "Batman" or "Star Wars" film annoy me as much as they annoy you (the phrase "Get a life" springs to mind). Having said that, I'll admit I was looking forward to Blue Crush, maybe because there hasn't been a mainstream surfer movie since Point Break, and I was in the mood for one. I'm happy to report this film satisfied my hunger.

To put matters bluntly, the movie succeeds in spite of its script rather than because of it. Kate Bosworth lives with two female friends and her younger sister in a shack on Maui. Mom abandoned them years ago, and now Kate and her friends spend every free moment surfing the huge breakers which pound the island. Her dream is to make it on the pro circuit, so she can score some endorsement deals and rake in enough dough to "pay the rent, the phone bill, and the electric bill all in the same month." Haunting her is the near-fatal accident she had in a major contest two years ago, when she struck her head on the reef and almost drowned. If this setup sounds tired and unimaginative, it's because it is, and it's only made worse by later scenes of her friend egging her on with the standard-issue "You-had-the-most-natural-talent-I've-ever-seen-you-coulda-been-great" speech. Then there's a sequence when Bosworth gets mad at the pro quarterback (Matthew Davis) she's been dating, and decides the best solution is to go for a swim in the expensive new dress she's wearing. So Davis jumps in fully clothed after her, and the two talk things out while up to their necks in seawater. Who comes up with this crap, anyway? Then a great white shark comes along and gobbles up the both of them. Or at least it should have.

The script scores points by having the three female leads earn their living as maids at one of Maui's tourist hotels. The irony of three people forced to survive off the commercialization and capitalism they reject is an inspired touch. So too are scenes of the girls driving along the coast and eagerly eyeing the huge waves which await them at the beach. On the other hand, I wish the story had dealt with the surfer lifestyle in greater detail, and explored the conflicts inherent in choosing a life outside society while facing the inevitable issues of aging, raising a family, and so on. The surf contest at the film's climax could've still been present, but afforded a more minor role. Speaking of conflicts and family, the film shows Bosworth strictly encouraging her sister to try hard in school so she can go to college. It's a classic example of "Do as I say, not as I do," and it's not plausible for a minute that it would ever work in real life. The other problem with the younger sister is her occasional use of sexual vulgarities, which serve no purpose but to demonstrate the desperation of the screenwriters.

So what's to recommend? Well, Kate Bosworth is the personification of the word "hot," which doesn't hurt. But what it really boils down to is... it's the surfing, stupid. The camera takes us out into the waves alongside Kate and her friends as they strive to catch the perfect pipeline. If you're at all interested in surfing (even just watching others), there are plenty of inspired shots to get your heart racing. When this film hits the video stores, I guarantee you'll be replaying some of the clips over two or three times, gasping in amazement that 1) someone actually performed the feat, and 2) someone else was able to catch it on camera. You may even decide it's worth a second look in the theaters. I know I'm planning on seeing it again.