Critic Reviews

• Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

  Eventually suffers from its accumulation of admittedly spectacular but repetitive images and would probably benefit from both extensive trimming and projection on a large-format screen.

• Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

  A superb documentary that delves into the science, emotions and danger surrounding the handful of men and women who risk their lives searching for the ultimate thrill.

• Megan Lehmann, New York Post

  A dog's dinner of profiles, repetitive narration, safety tips and banal 'insights' into the joys and dangers of cresting waves that sometimes reach 70 feet.

• Dave Kehr, New York Times

  With its emphasis on global positioning devices, Jet Skis and computer-designed surfboards, Mr. Boston's film is very much concerned with the stuff and very little with the spirit of professional surfing as practiced today.

• Ed Halter, Village Voice

  Pretty much everything here -- tow surfing, hydrofoil boards, token bit on women surfers -- already appeared in this summer's equally halfass Step Into Liquid.

• Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

  too strange of a conflagration of PBS and MTV to be effective

• Angel Cohn, TV Guide's Movie Guide

  The roles of several competitors are almost non-existent, and it's hard to keep track of the numerous surfers who score screen time as the crew wanders the world.

• Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly

  The participants include a who's who of surf greats, from Mike Parsons and Layne Beachley to 49-year-old Ken Bradshaw (the father of big-wave/ tow-in surfing), who continues to ride the fearsome breaks like they were kid stuff.

Read all 8 critic reviews