ENDLESS SUMMER II was written, directed and edited by surfer-filmmaker Bruce Brown with his son Dana 30 years after Bruce created the original.
ES2 has much the same "feel" as the original but the technical quality is on a higher level with a much bigger budget, bigger production staff and a studio and sponsors behind it from the get-go. Problem is NEW LINE CINEMA was in a state of transition when the ES2 was coming to market and it never got the promotion that any film needs. Although it was made in 1994, like many people, I never even knew it existed until I was surfing the internet in 2006.
This "sequel" is quite comparable to the original and if you enjoyed that, you will definitely want to see this.
The photography is absolutely spectacular much of it actually better than the original - and many of the shots literally take the viewer right INSIDE and UNDER the waves.
Fantastic surfing, great action, beautiful scenery, magnificent waves, gorgeous color, good soundtrack what a treat like a 2 hour mini-vacation.
The original seems more authentic but this film is excellent as well.
Pulling off all the necessary logistics and photographing this round-the-world adventure and including some of the best surfers on Earth was a major achievement and an entertaining one at that.
There's a little too much real-life risk-taking the film - much of it OUT of the water "playing" with lions and clowning around at the top of a precipice near a waterfall.
Nevertheless, the film makes a great armchair adventure for those of us who no longer surf. It also serves as a beautiful inspiration to those who do enjoy surfing or might want to try it. Just don't be as daring as these guys. They've been at it a long time and even with that, they come up with some nasty wounds along the way.
Interesting too that one featured champion surfer is smart enough to wear a helmet surfing the big waves over coral reefs. I think there's a good lesson in that.
