Movie Review: Blue Crush
Rate This Article
What Parents Should Know
The movie has strong language and a lot of vulgarity for a
PG-13. We see a mess in a toilet bowl and a used condom. Ann
Marie is a poor guardian for her 14-year-old sister. She chases
after her sister when she sneaks out to go to a raucous party
and worries about her smoking and ditching school, but makes
very little effort to set an example or impose limits. Parents
of younger kids who want to see a movie about two sisters in
Hawaii who go surfing should take them to see "Lilo and
Stitch."
Common Sense Media Review
If you want to ride this movie the way its heroine rides the
waves, the best thing to do is bring a walkman and a really
good pair of headphones and watch it while listening to your
favorite assortment of surfer hits. A compilation of Beach
Boys, Jan and Dean, and, of course, the classic Surfari
rendition of "Wipeout" will be a far better accompaniment to
this movie's visuals than the dreary attempt at story, acting,
and dialogue.
And oh, those visuals! Some of the most glorious cinematography of the year takes you right inside those Hawaiian "pipe" waves that the big-time surfers master. Hawaii's glorious natural resources, including many very pretty girls in very tiny bikinis, are lovingly photographed.
The story is one of those eye-of-the-tiger, "Flashdance" on a surfboard, will she believe in herself enough to follow her dream sagas with no special insight or freshness. Kate Bosworth plays Ann Marie, a cute tough-on-the-outside-but-vulnerable-on-the-inside surfer girl who has what it takes to be world-class if she can just (1) get over the fear she has had since almost drowning, (2) manage to train for her big chance while supporting herself and her younger sister, and (3) not get distracted by Prince Charming, a cute quarterback named Matt. Pals played by Michele Rodriguez and real-life surfer Sanoe Lake provide support.
The surfing scenes are breathtaking and by themselves worth the price of a ticket. The water is the most vivid and memorable character in the movie. MTV-style camera tricks will be annoying to some, but there are no tricks that can spoil the shots of the massive, thundering, walls of water that writhe like a sea serpent the size of a skyscraper.
The three actresses have a nice, easy camaraderie and it is easy to believe that they have lived together forever with a mixture of familial bickering and unquestioned loyalty and understanding. I was especially impressed with the surfer sisterhood that had one of the world champions taking time in the middle of a competition to give encouragement to a young competitor. And it was nice that Prince Charming (Matthew Davis, last seen as the boy who broke Reese Witherspoon's heart in "Legally Blonde"), when asked for advice, instead provides support for Ann Marie and gently reminds her that she is a girl who does not need anyone else's advice.
On the other hand, amidst all of this female empowerment there are some issues that make the characters less than ideal role models. Parents should know that Ann Marie accepts a lot of money ($1000 for "surfing lessons") and expensive gifts from the quarterback. She has sex with him after knowing him for a couple of days and then is horrified to overhear a conversation that makes her think that he does not think of her as marriage material.
