Blue Crush (2002)

61% of critics liked it
(140 reviews)
62% of users liked it
(353,765 ratings)

Move over, Gidget -- a new breed of female surfers with style, guts and attitude hit the screen in this feature, which combines romance with a sports drama. Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth) is a young woman living in Hawaii who has been surfing since she was a little girl, and over the past year has been… More Move over, Gidget -- a new breed of female surfers with style, guts and attitude hit the screen in this feature, which combines romance with a sports drama. Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth) is a young woman living in Hawaii who has been surfing since she was a little girl, and over the past year has been training for the prestigious Pipe Masters surfing competition. But Anne Marie is still dealing with emotional baggage that's holding her back -- her mother abandoned her years ago, leaving her to raise her younger sister Penny (Mika Boorem) while having to guide herself through adolescence, and Anne Marie nearly drowned while trying to surf the famous Maui Pipeline three years ago, and has yet to shake the anxieties of this traumatic event. Anne Marie and Penny share a house with Anne Marie's friends Lena (Sanoe Lake) and Eden (Michelle Rodriguez), both fellow surf enthusiasts, and the three friends work as maids at a hotel, a job which offers them flexible hours for riding the waves. When a pro football team checks into the hotel, Anne Marie meets Matt (Matthew Davis), a promising quarterback who has his eye on her. Anne Marie is just as attracted to Matt as he is to her, but will Anne Marie have to choose between the man of her dreams and the recognition as a surfer she's worked for years to receive? Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sanoe Lake did all their own surfing in Blue Crush; Bosworth and Rodriguez went into training to learn the sport before shooting began, while Lake, a native Hawaiian, was already a confirmed surf enthusiast. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: John Stockwell
Written By: Lizzy Weiss, John Stockwell
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Romance

In Theaters: Aug 16, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Jan 14, 2003
Studio: Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
The movie isn't nearly dumb enough to be much beach fun.
Dennis Lim, Village Voice
The body-doubling and face-pasting are unfortunately blatant.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
A pure celebration of riding the waves.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
A big, sexy, sun-splashed thrill ride.
Scott Foundas, Variety
Blue Crush has all the trappings of an energetic, extreme-sports adventure, but ends up more of a creaky "Pretty Woman" retread, with the emphasis on self-empowering schmaltz and big-wave surfing that gives pic its title an afterthought.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
It is trashy good fun.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
Affable yet forgettable...
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Tough yet tender surfer heroine story.
Todd Gilchrist, IGN Movies
Sporting a cast of up-and-coming actresses, John Stockwell's surfing flick offers up a slice of entertainment that acknowledges its roots and whose throw away pleasures arrive with no guilt.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
When the movie attempts to tell a story on land, you might want to bring along a flashlight and a magazine.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Proves to indeed be the formulaic bore it appears to be, however nicely dressed up (or undressed, depending on one's perspective) it is.
Douglas Pratt, Movie City News
There are minor convolutions and illogical story points, but it is the movie's sound mix that puts you in the pipe and keeps you there.
Greg Maki, Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Stockwell has made half of a good movie. Now he needs to figure out how to craft a film with words worthy of the beauty of its images.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Apesar de um ou outro diálogo se render ao clichê do "vença-seus-medos!", o filme é bem realizado, conta com protagonistas carismáticas e transforma o surfe em um esporte com incrível apelo cinematográfico.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jay H

The viewer stands to gain little from watching this film. Its boring, recycled plot can be found in many sports movies. Athlete is good at his/her sport, gets distracted by life, is encouraged to go back to the sport, is skeptical at first, but then decides that the sport truly is… More
The viewer stands to gain little from watching this film. Its boring, recycled plot can be found in many sports movies. Athlete is good at his/her sport, gets distracted by life, is encouraged to go back to the sport, is skeptical at first, but then decides that the sport truly is more important and succeeds in the end. That's all there is here. So there's nothing unique or exciting about the core of the film, but hey, at least Kate Bosworth and friends spend half the film in bikinis.
Melvin W

Kate Skarratt: And when I tell you to go, you gotta go. You gotta paddle your little heart out. You can't hesitate, you can't pull back, you can't hold back. No fear. Alright? Blue Crush was a lot more entertaining than I thought it would be. The surf scenes are… More
Kate Skarratt: And when I tell you to go, you gotta go. You gotta paddle your little heart out. You can't hesitate, you can't pull back, you can't hold back. No fear. Alright? Blue Crush was a lot more entertaining than I thought it would be. The surf scenes are really well made and look great. I don't think Kate Bosworth is a great actress, but she's beautiful and isn't too bad in this one. The movie for me falls apart because it is over dramatic and most of the time pretty cliche. You can probably guess how the final scene will play out before the movie gets 15 minutes in. Another aspect I hated was the soundtrack. It was really annoying with horrible rap and pop songs and it kind of ruined the best parts of the movie for me. Every time there was a long surf scene they would play horrible music and totally demolish the scene. Not a horrible movie; just a predictable decent one.
KJ P

A solid chick flick that delivers when it comes to the oceans and its small stories that flow with it's average dialogue. I can only mildly recommend this, but it is a good movie!
Film C

i quite liked this movie, its sweet enough not a movie i'd watch again though i dont think , although i liked the friendship and it is quite amusing in places and it certainly is sweet and ambscious movie it just doesnt appeal to me as such becuase its not got enough comedy to… More
i quite liked this movie, its sweet enough not a movie i'd watch again though i dont think , although i liked the friendship and it is quite amusing in places and it certainly is sweet and ambscious movie it just doesnt appeal to me as such becuase its not got enough comedy to make it a comedy and its not inspiring enough to be a nice heart felt drama so im left in the middle, it is worth the watch but not a second watch!
Anthony L

Who would have thought a film with three beautiful girls in bikinis? would be so un-entertaining! This is awful but beautifully shot.
Daniel P

ACTUAL TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDED MARKETING MEETING, BILLABONG INC., JUNE, 2002* MARKETING DIRECTOR: Alright, word's just come down from the board that we need to sell more clothing, give it some more "mass appeal". PRODUCT DIRECTOR: So, you're saying we should… More
ACTUAL TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDED MARKETING MEETING, BILLABONG INC., JUNE, 2002* MARKETING DIRECTOR: Alright, word's just come down from the board that we need to sell more clothing, give it some more "mass appeal". PRODUCT DIRECTOR: So, you're saying we should branch out into clothing other than surf wear...? MD: What?? NO! That would cost a ton of money that we don't have, and it might not even work. We just need to make people buy what we're already making. PD: So we should... advertise? MD: Advertise? Where is there an advertising budget? We make clothes for surfing... we can't afford to advertise to anyone else. PD: Ok, so we target surfers? MD: No, no, no, we've got surfers. We need to target non-surfers. PD: And how do we do that? MD: We have to make them think surfing is popular... accessible... easy... fun... cool... you know... PD: And how do you do that, exactly. JANITOR SWEEPING FLOOR: Make a movie about it, dumbass. MD: Yeah... yeah we could do that... or just throw some money at a movie someone's already making...! JANITOR: There's a new one coming out about mountain climbing? MD: Now, see, that's ridiculous. No one climbs mountains. PD: So we get them to change the story... MD: Yeah... and then they only wear Billabong... there's Billabong posters in the background... banners... sponsorships... surf gear...-- PD: --and "casual wear"... MD: Yeah, that's it! (PICKS UP TELEPHONE) Get me John Stockwell. (PAUSES, WAITS FOR CONNECTION) Hi - yeah, John, it's me, how are you? (PAUSE) Listen, you know that mountain climbing movie you're making? (PAUSE) Yeah, yeah, well how about surfing? (PAUSE) What do mean it changes the plot? (PAUSE) Story? What story? (PAUSE) Oh, the lazy Rocky plot... use "find and replace", climbing for surfing... yeah, yeah just change the names, no problem... no, no the plot's fine, I'm sure (PAUSE) whatever, you'll make it look good. PD: Ahem... MD: Sorry, Marty, hang on... (TO PD) What is it? PD: Characters... MD: Right. (BACK INTO PHONE) So what are the characters like? Yeah, you know the jock guy in the lead... make him a girl. (PAUSE) So what? A hot girl. (PAUSE) No, no, she doesn't have to know how to act, I don't care, just make sure she looks good. (PAUSE) Empathize? No, we don't want to empathize with her, we want to see her surf, dammit! (PAUSE) Yeah, just give her some kinda hot friends, but make sure she stands out... ok, get back to me. (PAUSE) What's that? Oh, yeah, costumes... well, that's why we called, we want to take care of that for you... (END RECORDING.) *Dramatization - may not have happened.
Curtis L

Awwwwwful.
Dean M

This female surf film is light-weight, but entertaining, with an appealing cast, colourful locations, and excellent surfing scenes. Three Maui surfer girls are good-looking athletic and sexy - WOW!
moon r

i saw this i'm sorry
Rachel F

I love this movie. This is pretty much the only film Kate Bosworth has been in that i've actually liked. Plus its a film about surfing..how could I not like it?
E.J. B

For what it is, it's a nice, fun little movie.
Sophie B

I love it! i wish i could surf like that! a bit too predictable though
danny d

far better than i thought it would be
Jason S

Girl power movie that involves surfing and stuff.
Leigh R

It was pretty good.
Luke B

I'm sorry. I know it isn't that great. I know it's predictable. But god damn it, I just feel so lovingly towards it. Also it's sweet how they cant play a scene without some cool rock or pop laying down beats. Anyways the cinematogrophy during surfing scenes is… More
I'm sorry. I know it isn't that great. I know it's predictable. But god damn it, I just feel so lovingly towards it. Also it's sweet how they cant play a scene without some cool rock or pop laying down beats. Anyways the cinematogrophy during surfing scenes is breathtaking, so shut it.
Kalel J

Blue Crush is a surfing movie at it's heart but it also posesses an element of humbleness that makes it appeal.
Steven V

"And when I tell you to go, you gotta go. You gotta paddle your little heart out. You can't hesitate, you can't pull back, you can't hold back. No fear." - Kate Skarratt Blue Crush… More
"And when I tell you to go, you gotta go. You gotta paddle your little heart out. You can't hesitate, you can't pull back, you can't hold back. No fear." - Kate Skarratt Blue Crush is a very enjoyable and touching tale with spectacular waves that will have you screaming at the screen for everyone to get the hell out of the water. It starts off badly, with a rather psychedelic flash back sequence that shows us the traumatic surfing experience that haunts Anne Marie and is the reason she has been out of the professional circuit for the last few years. But very soon the characters begin to win us over. Kate Bosworth gives a great performance and perfectly portrays the mixture of adrenaline, exhaustion, vulnerability and absolute terror that anyone facing mother natures at her most magnificent would feel. The waves are the most spectacular you will see on screen, with stunning camera work and sound. The surf sequences are absolutely gripping. On land the movie holds up just as well. Eventhough many ideas and sequences are lifted directly from a variety of other movies, they are handled in a fresh way, and have plenty of laugh out loud moments. The supporting cast is uneven, from the two brilliant big and black American Footballers to the dubious use of real life surfers and locals. However this seems to add a realism that actually works well as these few scenes can feel like the link shots used between the action in real surfing videos. The plot is not great, and is has been accused of being a mindless sports/action movie that uses scantily clad girls for titillation. But a great movie to get you in the mood for summer.
Fascade F

A cool sand, sun, shore, and surfboarding movie. a pretty good flick!
Deb S

Ann Marie Chadwick (Kate Bosworth) is a former junior surfing champion, who has been out of competition since a nearly fatal surfing accident in a tournament. She dreams of one day becoming the best surfer in the world, but for now she is stuck in a dead-end job as a hotel maid with… More
Ann Marie Chadwick (Kate Bosworth) is a former junior surfing champion, who has been out of competition since a nearly fatal surfing accident in a tournament. She dreams of one day becoming the best surfer in the world, but for now she is stuck in a dead-end job as a hotel maid with her two best friends Eden and Lena (a very intense Michelle Rodriguez and Sanoe Lake) whilst raising her 12-year old sister Penny. (Mika Boorem) The no nonsense Eden questions Anne Marie's commitment, when she pursues a possible relationship with a visiting Pro Quarterback, Matthew (played by Matt Tollman). Maybe I was in the mood for something lightweight but I found myself oddly entertained by Blue Crush. The sound track is fun and the cinematography was spectacular with killer surfing sequences and breath-taking waves, all filmed in beautiful Hawaii. <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=23kz2jb" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/23kz2jb.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=70b6hc" target="_blank"><img src="http://i55.tinypic.com/70b6hc.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=6zc6f9" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/6zc6f9.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=mmwsox" target="_blank"><img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/mmwsox.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2rohqtw" target="_blank"><img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/2rohqtw.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>