Blue Crush

Affable yet forgettable, Blue Crush follows up-and-coming surfer Anne Marie Chadwick (Kate Bosworth) as she and her friends (Michelle Rodriguez’s Eden, Sanoe Lake’s Lena, and Mika Boorem’s Penny) prepare for a pivotal, life-altering competition – with Anne Marie’s resolve tested as she finds herself falling for a visiting football player (Matthew Davis’ Matt). Filmmaker John Stockwell proves unable to draw the viewer into the proceedings virtually from the get-go, as the director, working from a script cowritten with Lizzy Weiss, places an initial emphasis on the central character’s less-than-engrossing day-to-day exploits (eg Anne Marie surfs, Anne Marie takes care of her sister, etc, etc) – which proves effective at immediately establishing an atmosphere of pervasive mediocrity. Bosworth’s charming performance, coupled with the inclusion of a few admittedly engaging sequences (eg Anne Marie, a hotel maid, confronts a guest over his sloppiness), goes a long way towards alleviating the film’s otherwise inert sensibilities, with the cute romance between Anne Marie and Matt ensuring that the midsection does remain far more watchable than one might have anticipated. It’s worth noting that the underwhelming vibe extends even to the climactic surfing competition, as the sequence, which starts out well enough, goes on much longer than necessary and ultimately wears out its welcome – with the uplifting finale diminished of its impact as a result. Blue Crush is a passable bit of teen-oriented filmmaking that will undoubtedly please its target audience, though it’s just as clear that the movie’s palpable downfall is cemented by its absence of wholeheartedly compelling elements.

** out of ****