I went in actually expecting (hoping for) a Christian movie. Instead, I got over an hour of gorgeous scenery, weak music, and random surfing/hooking up that didn't seem to go anywhere. Towards the end of the film, he suddenly gets bitten by a jellyfish and nearly dies, but his apparently psychic mom receives a magic God-o-gram of his condition and begs for his life or something.
I'm amazed that there was so little 'Christian' content until the very last part of the movie. If they had put that near death epiphany way earlier in the film (maybe at the 35min mark?) and then perhaps explored his 'changed life' a bit, it might have been something. As it stands, he is only a "Christian" for less than five minutes of the film at the very end. It would have been really interesting to see him do something with his new insight, but the movie makers seemed to lose interest in him when he finds his faith. The actual Ian (shown during the credits) seems far more interesting than this film about him.
I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to get from this film beyond the fact that some Christian ladies have telepathic superpowers. If you're looking for a recent surfing movie, there's better to be found. For the faith crowd, try Soul Surfer (2011) or the documentary Walking on Water (2007). For the family crowd, try Chasing Mavericks (2012) or the animated Surf's Up (2007). Basically, if you're looking for a good surfing film, try something else. Rating: 3/10.
I'm amazed that there was so little 'Christian' content until the very last part of the movie. If they had put that near death epiphany way earlier in the film (maybe at the 35min mark?) and then perhaps explored his 'changed life' a bit, it might have been something. As it stands, he is only a "Christian" for less than five minutes of the film at the very end. It would have been really interesting to see him do something with his new insight, but the movie makers seemed to lose interest in him when he finds his faith. The actual Ian (shown during the credits) seems far more interesting than this film about him.
I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to get from this film beyond the fact that some Christian ladies have telepathic superpowers. If you're looking for a recent surfing movie, there's better to be found. For the faith crowd, try Soul Surfer (2011) or the documentary Walking on Water (2007). For the family crowd, try Chasing Mavericks (2012) or the animated Surf's Up (2007). Basically, if you're looking for a good surfing film, try something else. Rating: 3/10.