The Perfect Wave (2014)

Too many fans seem to be blown away

Dreadfully Boring

Absolutely amazing

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Even the plot synopsis basically tells the entire story. A boy is "lost" and he finds God. That's it. That's all you need to know to decide whether you'll enjoy this title or not.If you're Christian, then you'll enjoy and support this for that sole reason.If you're not Christian, then unless you're in the mood for investing 100 minutes of your life, and perhaps some of your own hard cash to watch a glorified advertisement for Christianity try to convert you in the most cumbersome, unoriginal, forgettable way, there's no single reason to bother with this title.The film is so hell bent on hammering down the message that God is real (pun unintended) that it gives no secondary reason to watch. There's no care for character relationships nor is there an expanded, involving plotline.It doesn't even have an 'it's so bad it's good' element to it. It's not even comically preachy, which might have given it some value watching in an ironic way.Simply put, don't bother. You'll get more out of watching your clothes roll around in the watching machine. I feel sorry for everyone, including my GF and I, who spent money to watch this trite, thinking they were going to see either a love story or something akin to 'The Beach'.

I read most of the reviews on The Perfect Wave ! I really thought the actors did a very decent job portraying their parts ! I'm a big fan of surfing movies ! I've surfed most of my life ! The places they surfed are some of the best in the world ! There seemed to be just the right amount of romance in this story ! It wasn't over the top surfing ! And that really fit in with the story ! It was written from a perspective that surprised me . And I don't think it should or even needed to be in the movie ! Religion has a place, but it definitely shouldn't have been in this film ! The movie was good enough to make me like it until he almost died ! At that point I almost turned it off ! It is worth watching though, but if the ridiculous Religion part was left out I would have scored it higher !

The Perfect Wave comes packaged as a Christian or religious movie however one could easily change the title to 'The Perfect Family Movie' and be pretty close to the truth. Based on the true events of a young surfer who quits home in pursuit of his dream of the perfect wave it has the potential to be a bit of a yawner, far from it. The story line, while never rushed or compressed kept me riveted from the first frame to the last. It is beautifully written with just the right amount of clichés, like pepper and salt in the soup one needs to be careful as to what amount is added and in this case it tasted just fine. The power of the acting was outstanding yet understated with very little ham, near perfect timing plus natural facial and body expression. However, the exceptional performances of Scott Eastwood (Ian McCormack) Rachel Hendrix (Annabel) and Cheryl Ladd (Mrs McCormack) were the key ingredient that transformed this potential cheesecake into a zesty Pavlova. They harpooned my heart and pulled me along to engage with the story, identify with the situations and feel for the characters as events unfolded. Indeed I was wiping away my first tear surprisingly early on in the film. Another amazing thing about this movie is the way it transformed a relatively sedate early story line into such a dynamic and watchable experience leading up to the hugely dramatic ending with such panache. The praise for this must go to the production team. The cinematography, (especially the wave scenes) the editing, (just one small continuity distraction) the sound, the music (you will want to buy the DVD if it comes out), the lighting, the locations, the effects all perfectly and sensitively encased the story with great creativity and care. This could never therefore be a movie known for its great this or that but for the way in which this and that pulled together to create a beautiful movie. There is a Christian message conveyed in the movie but done is such a way that it will not offend even the most anti-religious individual but if it did, what a pity it would be to allow one's views of religion to have one miss out on such a wonderful movie experience. Like The Passion of the Christ I believe this film can be enjoyed by all and loved by many. Yes this is a truly remarkable true story and as such, could even become one of the most touching and memorable films you will see. I know, as I am writing this with the effect of the film still stirring my mind and I do not believe the impact of this film will be diluted by the passage of time. So to sum up this is a film that embraces all that is beautiful about the silver screen, all that is heart rendering about powerful acting and all that is unique in a true story, a story about The Perfect Wave.Derek Keith

Being a surfer, I saw the poster and figured why not... I could settle for a mediocre storyline and even mediocre action so long as the riding was good.Unfortunately I got bad acting, mediocre storyline and ultimately a free church service.There were moments when the acting caused laughing in the audience, and truly took one away from the movie. And while the movie started out fairly decently, things got progressively worse. There were narrative areas which stated what could have been concluded in the end, about 40 minutes before the end, thus giving away half the mystery.The last 20 minutes however was the point where I wanted to walk out of the theatre. The movie took a dramatic turn from a movie about a man's desire to catch the perfect wave, into a direct and unashamed attempt at converting viewers to religion. Since it was based on a true story, there are elements that are inescapable and to be expected, but had I known that I would spend 20 minutes being preached to about how everyone needs to find God - I definitely wouldn't have gone to see this.