Bosch and Rockit

Likeable storyline of father trying to be a good father to his surf mad teenager son.

Mother is sadly having her own issues.

Unfortunately, the dark side of the father is his drug dealing and mixing with bad criminals.

The filming locations are really awesome along the East coast, especially around Byron bay and other fantastic coastal ocean locations !

Not sure whether the teenager actor was actually doing the surfing, however the surfing shots were believable.

Teenager character is also believable through good casting.

The teenage actor has such great, very long hair that girls would go crazy !

Read the What Walt's Watching review then add my bit: I thought the ending was great. It was the right choice for a movie about a kid. His life is just opening up to him.

For those who've watched Point Break (the OG) & North Shore - movies with surfing in them have come a long way since editing goofy-footed stunt doubles into the action.

Good story base but drawn out screenplay just weighs it down. The Dad's character is well acted and as much of an antihero as also a guy you want to have a beer with.

Rockit, the illiterate son who is in need of Adderall or a heavy dose of stun gun--almost ruins the stellar acting on his own. It's heavy handed in goofiness even when it should be time for some serious times. It's a serious fragmented family drama with beautiful backdrop of the Australian coastlines, coupled with fantastic surf footage isn't lost but the child actor and his heavy dose of shrill just ruined what appeared to be a troubled but unique father son as "buds" story arc. The music/score was also distracting and intrusive seemingly happening every 90 seconds at that-- with sappy music blaring over what could be reflective character moments.

5.5/10.

This is a story of a boy who, neglected by his parents and lacking an anchor, turns to the ocean for solace and into himself for protection. He grows up into a man who is supposedly rooted in hippie mysticism and Sikhism, yet juxtaposed with high profile girlfriends and Hollywood projects. This autobiographical account of his early life has the same duality of being cathartic and being self-indulgent. Remove the neglect and there is little else of substance to the movie. Even the neglect fails to be compelling due to the idyllic setting.

Atkins wrote, directed and produced this movie, his first ever feature film. Whether it was budget constraints or Atkin's single-minded obsession with his own story, it was sorely in need of better writing and creative input. Luke Hemsworth and Rasmus King do a good job of portraying father and son, but their acting and chemistry alone are not enough to carry the movie. The film locations were lackluster and the cinematography does not capture the beauty of the east coast of Australia. In one scene, Rockit runs into Ash 126 km away from Byron Bay and yet the Gold Coast can be seen in the distance. The handling of the film is decidedly amateurish and the heavy reliance on the music of Ry X for the soundtrack did not help.

Bosch (Luke Hemsworth) and his son Rockit (Rasmus King) are extremely close and obsessed surfers. Bosch and his friends grow and sell weed. His police buddy Keith comes by with an unknown corrupt partner who forces him to sell a package of coke. Deb (Isabel Lucas) falls for Bosch. Ash-Ash falls for Rockit.

Rasmus King seems to be around 16 here and I find his voice a little annoying. It's both his performance and the character as written. Rockit is acting like a clueless brat. He actually thinks that his father is a spy. It's a lot easier to take with a younger character. As for drama, the story takes away some of the tension when Keith solves their situation. I was expecting a showdown at the mother's house. I assume that Keith knows the location. There are some interesting moments. The puppy love is adorable. The story has potential. In the end, I would get a younger and better actor for Rockit.