Storm Surfers 3D (2012) Online

I was a surfie chick for about six months at the age of seventeen, heading to Surfers Paradise Qld every weekend and reading all the magazines. Then I realised it was boring sitting watching surfers waiting to catch waves.

However, there is nothing boring about watching these two surfing legends Ross Clarke-Jones and Tom Carroll search for the un-surfed wave. The 3D is fabulous and the huge waves they surf mark quite remarkable achievements for two men in their middle to late forties. Despite the fact they were clearly having a ball chasing waves around Australia, I did wonder how their poor suffering wives felt about it. A solid documentary made with true Aussie larrikin passion. It made me proud to be an Aussie. See it even if you aren't into surfing. It's about following your dream and keeping the passion no matter your age. Thank you to Ace Cinemas Subiaco for the screening.

I have to admit up front that I just don't 'get' surfing. I never have and never will. Then again, I don't 'get' most thrill-seeking sports (or sports in general). Despite this, however, I went into "Storm Surfers 3D" with great enthusiasm, if only because I expected some spectacular cinematography, and in that respect I was not disappointed. What WAS disappointing, though, is that despite some often-stunning cinematography, the film overall is, dare I say it, dull. I neither liked it or hated it but its effect was not unlike a lesser IMAX feature: pleasant enough but not particularly engaging and immediately dismissed from one's mind. Perhaps because I'm not a fan of surfing, I didn't necessarily feel drawn into the drama and excitement one is supposed to feel during the scenes of waves being ridden. However, what WAS exciting, even exhilarating, are those moments when the camera perfectly captures the balletic rise and fall of waves, or inside a curl. These are visually stunning, neither because of nor despite the surfing aspect. The film focuses on two internationally-renowned Australian surfers, Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones; of the two, Tom Carroll is the most interesting, not least of all because he remains an incredibly attractive human being. You can easily relate to him and his outlook on life, and his demeanor is that of an everyday guy. Clarke- Jones, on the other hand, is not entirely likable, at least to me; he alludes early on to being 'a kid', though he's easily in his 50's by now, and maintains the belief that he's akin to a 'rock star'. Quickly tiresome is his endless reliance on calling his partner Tom 'a girl' for being concerned with such mundane matters as overall health and how his actions might directly affect his wife and three daughters, particularly as someone who is no longer a young boy. Clarke-Jones comes across as one of those guys who is endlessly amused by himself, with nary an ounce of depth or life beyond the waves. For those who are interested in seeing this, however, by all means if you are an surfing enthusiast, you are likely to enjoy it; be warned that though it's entirely suitable for children, if the two little kids (5-7 years old) I saw at my screening are any indication, they were bored and restless early on. Older kids (10+) might find it enthralling. If, however, you can take surfing or leave it, it's best to leave it: this movie won't change your mind.

Let's get a few things straight. I have no doubt in my mind surfing a humongous wave gives you a thrill-rush incomparable to any other rush of energy out there. I have no doubt that fans of surfing or such events as the X-Games will find Storm Surfers a boring film whatsoever. But I do possess doubts that those with little knowledge or investment in the sport will be able to enjoy this documentary. The film, aesthetically, is a bold visual-piece, and in 3D, it could've increased the adrenaline levels of the audience if used to fortify the right moments and capture them with a sense of placement and movement. However, as someone who viewed this on a large, fifty-two inch HD DVD, it had little to offer other than something pretty for my screen to show.

For me, film criticism must be about two things - illustrating the goal of the film and its methods for achieving it and then vicing what you thought of the overall project and its attempt to achieve that goal. Storm Surfers has accepted rave reviews from surfers and critics alike, and just on that note, it has achieved what it wanted to do; make a movie about two daredevils that enjoy surfing waves on large bodies of water during vicious storms. However, my issue is that the film is too much of a muchness; too constructed on gravity-defying visuals to offer any kind of meaning or justification to the actions of these men other than they want immediate gratification and satisfaction. There's nothing wrong with that on a fundamental level, but if you're going to throw yourself in a large body of water during a breakneck storm, there needs to be more of that "will he make?" suspense. The scenes of suspense in Storm Surfers are far too little to warrant any kind of excitement.

The film follows two world-famous surfers, Tom Carroll and Ross Clark-Jones, along with their storm forecaster Ben Matson, as they try and track down the most vicious storms in the Great Southern Ocean. They want to find the most terrifying wave, so they can brave whatever weather condition is in their way to surf and conquer it. Carroll and Clark-Jones are without a shadow of a doubt big fans of what they do. They are thrill-seeking men, even well into their forties with families to think about, and their love for the surf hasn't decimated over the years, despite taking more precautions than before. However, their passion and execution could be fitfully summed up in a half-hour documentary on the Discovery Channel. It doesn't need to be a ninety-five minute, theatrical event with an added dimension.

However, I can see a number of devoted followers of Carroll and Clark-Jones justifying the need for a film like this to hit theaters and be seen. Sure it may welcome audiences to a new kind of unforeseeable culture. Sure it may show them a dangerous life they may not have known they liked. And sure the film may welcome in a new legion of fans of storm surfing. But this is the kind of film that preaches to the choir and advertises like it does nothing more than do so. The trailers show nothing that will interest the already-interested and the content does the same. There isn't much of a human scope to these characters as there should be, considering the stunts Carroll and Clark-Jones are performing here. This was the same mistake made in Nitro Circus: The Movie, the theatrical adaptation of the popular stunt program.

Storm Surfers provides those who already know what they're getting into the material they'll need to survive and smile. On that note, I'll give it two stars, which is average and fair, considering I wasn't a big fan of it. I recommend this to the already marketed-to audience and the overly-curious cinephile looking to check a new documentary off of their watchlist. Just don't be surprised if you get lost in the gigantic waves rather than the story or characters, like I did on numerous occasions. Now on that note, I was like the characters.

Starring: Tom Carroll and Ross Clark-Jones. Directed by: Justin McMillan and Christopher Nelius.

I am a surfer of the 60s. I highly respect the courage and skills of the surfers presented in this movie. I do agree that this film could be improved; and so I offer a constructive critique as follows: The audience needs to feel the fear and anguish of failure a large percentage of the time in order to feel victory. These surfer chaps are so professional, so skilled as presented that we rarely feel defeat. Perhaps this film could have presented some intermediate surfers trying and failing at lesser waves. Then the movie could build to the "pros" whom have paid their dues. These pros are smiling and laughing much of the time and so they seem more than fearless, they are masters whom are no longer taking huge risks. From my own experience, I respect anyone who can surf such huge and dangerous waves. I can remember what it feels like just to stand before waves 1/2 the size depicted in this movie. But other viewers don't have this personal experience of being in awe. Adding on 3D and camera headgear is a nice touch; adding polished, well framed interviews is, ah...professional, slick, chrome plating. But "chrome plating" isn't speed, fear, pain, suffering. We need to see more suffering, a larger percentage of suffering vs. success. Success after success after success is boring. We need the cars to break down; get flat tires. We need to see more exhausted surfers; we need to see blood on the forehead, arguments, conflicts with police...well...we need to see more drama. Yes, I am aware that there already are a few scenes that talk about pain and risk. But where is the real worry in their eyes? Most of the time these pros are laughing and showing how really relaxed they are before they undertake surfing huge waves. And that relaxes us, the audience, too. Nothing to fear here. It's a beautiful waves, a beautiful day, day after day. Beauty can become boring, even if you live in paradise.

There is a small attempt to define a surfer as a person who has a special interest in nature, risk taking. He may be a person who is an endless teenager. But is this character development to say these things? It's a meek attempt to be sure. As a result, we do not end up "close" to these surfers. We see a little of their history and still we do not find special insights here. They have a "need for speed" the movie attempts to convey.

I remember "Endless Summer" from the 60s. At that time, I felt stimulated by this movie to "take off" and to follow the sun. This movie as I recall featured music by Dick Dale or a replica musical group. The music, the promise of an "Endless Summer" lead to a feeling that surfing was a kind of romantic sea challenge that one would tell to one's grandchildren. In this movie, the surfers have children, and they have gray hair. The children here are not in awe of their parents, surfing is an everyday affair for them. So, while it is a fine accomplishment for a 50 year old man to surf huge waves, we are missing out on the romance of the ocean.

So, I will say this: I think the music could be more "Spanish" or harken to foreign lands through presentations of dancers, music, parties with foreigners, etc. Doing this will add romance and give the audience a new (foreign) travel experience. As the movie is, we are looking at a polished movie with little failure evident. Watching a golf movie with all "holes in one" can be repetitive, boring. We need to see defeat. When we watch baseball, football, soccer, complete success rarely happens during the game. Yet, the audience is glued to every little defeat and partial success.

Making good movies requires more than a template with polished interviews and cuts to action scenes. The writers, producers of movies of this kind need to go to the "next level" to provide the audience with a channel to feel every heart beat. Using a special action camera does add some small percentage of this personal fear experience. But we need much more. We need to see personal defeat.

I recommend this movie as light entertainment which is worth the fee to go in especially if you have been a surfer. But for others, I feel you will be bored in the center of the movie by the repetition of perfect waves.

Sometimes too much perfection can be boring.