DVD Reviews: Blue Crush (Rental)

Some of the most spectacular surfing scenes are what’s on offer in this film.  The slightly surreal, euphoric vibe of it all much akin to Point Break.  This film is about the rise of a young female surfer scaling the ranks of the world of surfing. Along the way we see a love theme through both in on and off the beach.  Her friends are typically female and their jealous attitude toward the lead character is prominent but not all of the film is about this. 

Other than what is previously mentioned in latter paragraph the story is basically this.  Obviously it’s a little more complex than this but after a few beers there is not much room for comprehension!  The lead character Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth) had a bad experience three years ago of hitting her head on some coral after being dumped by a large wave.  Consequently she has had this deep-seated fear ever since.  Flashbacks from this threaten to quell her desire to be out in the surf but she keeps on getting back on the horse.  As the saying goes if fail once try, try again.  This aspect is inspiring to see although we know that in actual life she would have been jumping aboard a Bertrum midway through some of the longer scenes.  Near the end of the film there is a contest called the pipemasters whin Anne Marie enters to win sponsorship for there life on the beach.   

The film was a great panorama of the surfing world which will inspire and is a joy to watch.  The girls whilst young do put on quite a show up on the some of the most dangerous beaches in the world.  Coral and some daring feats will amaze most viewers especially those affiliated with the surfing world. 

Overall the acting by the lead characters are ok but once again will not set the world ablaze with spectacular performances.  The parts that are relatively ground breaking are the surfing scenes where the photography both below and above water.  The coolness of watching the surfers up close and watching their expression is done with style.  It’s is a shame though that the entertainment level aboard dry land is fairly low.  The male actors are there for comical relief more than to be taken seriously.  Recommended to youngsters both female and male. - Alex Cuming

Extras Review

It's not often that we split a review like this but time constraints played a part in it, to get the review to our readers faster. With a disc jam packed as full of extras as this one, viewers are going to be getting their money's worth out of this DVD whether as a rental or a purchase. Alex and I were at loggerheads with the score for the feature, Alex happy with a score of about 7 and me hankering for about an 8.3/10. I do agree that the movie doesn't break any new ground, however I love this sort of action movie and loved watching it.

A lot of attention to detail has been put into the creation of this disc and going into the extras will show how much the disc shines. The extras are broken up into a number of sections that are viewable through the menu. Of particular interest to me was the feature commentary with our three starlets, followed with a more concise commentary by director John Stockwell.

There are other fun parts to the extras such as a wipeout reel and a focus on the skateboarding sequences as well. These can be toggled to contain commentary or just enjoy the sequences as they were shot in the first place. The amount of background information on the sport is staggering and will be enough (almost) to have any novice talking like a seasoned grommet!

Possibly the only thing I didn't like was the unashamed plug that the sponsor Billabong gets in the Surf Fashion section of the extras. Sanoe Lake and Billabong Rep (please!) Jessica Trint-Nichols go into a Billabong store and look at the latest clothing. It's all a bit soulless and didn't belong on this disc. If the girls had clowned around a bit more it would have been fun. The way it was carried out though, it was a poorly done ad.

All things said and done, this is one disc that is worth looking at. It should appeal to everyone and I can see it being watched more than once.