North Shore

Directed by William Phelps, North Shore follows recent high-school graduate Rick Kane (Matt Adler) as he arrives in Hawaii in the hopes of establishing himself as a professional surfer – with the narrative also boasting an ongoing emphasis on Rick’s relationships with several locals (including Gregory Harrison’s Chandler and Nia Peeples’ Kiani). There’s ultimately not a whole lot of fresh or innovative material contained within North Shore – the movie does, by and large, feel like it’s emerged from a template for stories of this ilk – and yet it’s hard to deny that the picture generally comes off as an affable and perfectly watchable piece of work. The film’s mild success is undoubtedly due to its exceedingly pleasant Hawaii-based scenery and proliferation of agreeable performances, with, in terms of the latter, Adler’s amiable turn as the blank yet personable protagonist matched by the efforts of a surprisingly solid supporting cast. (Many of the periphery characters are well-played by real-life surfers, while Harrison, and, to a lesser extent, Peeples, delivers a compelling, down-to-earth performance that effectively grounds the proceedings.) By the time the upbeat finale rolls around, North Shore has certainly confirmed its place as a fairly forgettable ’80s endeavor that nevertheless manages to (mostly) sustain one’s interest for the duration of its 96 minutes.

**1/2 out of ****