Surfer, Dude

I downloaded this movie recently as part of an attempt to chart Matthew McConaughey's movie career. The IMDb rating definitely made me think twice but since the title suggested harmless banter at worst, I switched it on in the background. Well, I was hooked within the first 15 mins. This movie not bad at all. In fact, I would highly recommend it to anyone who has 2 hours to kill.

McConaughey's performance as Steve Addington, his character build up (3rd party stories around his background etc.), a great lineup of supporting actors and a plot that ends positively. The movie delivers on all counts that make up your average feel good Fri nighter. This one goes beyond in a lot of aspects.

I'm rating this movie a 10 till the score recovers to 6.5.

This movie is about simplicity of life being threatened by too much greed. Our American life has decayed so far out of simplicity that there's now a whole generation that has no idea what a simple life is like. No wonder so many people don't get this movie!

I surf and have for 20 years. I know a lot more surfers who are like these guys than aren't! All these guys whining about this not "being real" in regards to surfing need to lighten up a bit. Surfing used to be a lot of fun until it became mainstream and overcrowded. That's why I usually paddle over to the next peak to get away from the crowds even if it's not as good.

This movie is more about a guy who loves his lifestyle and having it threatened by extinction than anything else.

Take example from Tyler Durdin and "just let go". Let go of expectations and you might just find a gem right under your nose.

I generally like movies about surfing - documentaries, fiction and even animated flicks. While this movie started out fine, by the end, I really had no idea why the movie was made. Nothing really happens. Nothing. Furthermore, this movie is actually only 75 minutes long (without the credits)! That's pretty short, but it fits since there isn't really any story.

I did like the beginning though - there are cool surfing shots, lots of specialized surfer lingo, and a cool introduction to McConaughey's character as a legendary surfer. And that was not all, the beginning also gives us an exotic high-tech firm w/3D virtual technology, a surfer reality show and even a flashy/upscale topless beach party (it was very well done!).

However, in terms of where all these elements go, the movie tanks. McConaughey's character walks around confused and dejected because there's no surf ... all while he's continually assaulted by the high tech firm that's pressuring him to sign a contract.

As a movie, it's pretty terrible. However, I must say that I still enjoyed a lot of the above elements for their fun-spirited nature. For the general viewer though, there's definitely no point in seeing this movie.

I rarely do this, and I either feel vindicated or embarrassed doing it, but I went into Surfer, Dude prepared to not like it at all. Matter of fact, I rented the movie (from my library on a 25 cent charge) with the intent to have a good laugh at it, and maybe get in with my wife on a Mystery Science Theater 3000 style poke-and-jab job. As it turned out, by the near of the end of its slim 82 minute running time, we felt the same way: it's not hate-worthy. It's simply too filled with well-intentions to simply stomp and kick the crap out of. While one can argue a lot of misplaced ego-trips go that way (i.e. M. Night Shyamalan) I didn't really sense hubris or too much faulty technical craft going on.

It's simply what it appears to be: a bunch of surfer dudes, and I include in that group the filmmakers and McConaughey, got together after many years of prep (you read that right, many years, like seven according to the DVD making-of) and made a movie for themselves, and the California surfer community. Indeed there's been a minor cult that has risen in California around the movie; screenings spring up with masses of dirty and stoned surfers trudging into the theater ready to soak up the waves. At least, that's my assumption having never been to the California surfing community nor a surfer's cult movie screening. I can't help but wonder if it was for the 'plot' or the 'comedy'.

So why isn't the movie hateful? For one thing, for all of his incessant I-don't-need-to-wear-a-shirt-ness, McConaughey is a likable guy as Steve, a guy who has a craving for a wave, all the time, every time it's possible. There is not much conflict to speak of except this: either Steve rides the wave, or he doesn't, and for much of Surfer, Dude he actually doesn't ride waves but rather try and fend off a corporate leech that wants to sign him up for a reality TV show gig. That's basically the whole movie. Oh, and Willie Nelson shows up as a goat farmer who smokes lots of doobs (of course), and Woody Harrelson pops up from time to time as a, uh, manager of sorts who smokes a lot of doobs (of course) and is sometimes hard to differentiate from McConaughey if not for the shirt situation and, uh, other actors like Jack's father on Lost.

Here's what it comes down to: there are plenty of totally cringe-worthy moments, scenes where laughs are attempted and fall flat, and some lazy cinematography and music and a story that is so easy to read through you know who every character is and what their destination will be within ten seconds of seeing him or her (and that goes for miss wannabe Baywatch star too). And yet, it's also a laid back movie for a niche crowd that doesn't try to please to audiences that aren't meant for it. Maybe I wasn't meant for it either, and I do like some of these actors and comedies with stoners and surfing and waves and uh virtual reality plots hatched by... oh what the hell, it's a retarded puppy of modern movies. It may be stupid, but it's still a puppy!

This film is about a world famous surfer who tries to live according to his ideals, and resists a very generous offer to endorse a surfing video game.

The plot of "Surfer, Dude" is paper thin, so thin that is almost non existent. The film is just 75 minutes long excluding the credits, and there is not even material to cover half of the screen time. Usually when the plot is non existent, there is something else to make up for it. In "Surfer, Dude" there is no fun, no humour, no moral teaching, no witty lines and not even nice scenery to look at. The only thing that they could come up with to keep viewers interested is plenty of nudity by numerous topless women. And seriously, does Matthew McConaughey really need to be topless all the time? "Surfer, Dude" is hence reduced to a narcissistic vehicle for him to expose himself. "Surfer, Dude" is a boring disappointment.