The Perfect Wave

The Perfect Wave comes packaged as a Christian or religious movie however one could easily change the title to 'The Perfect Family Movie' and be pretty close to the truth. Based on the true events of a young surfer who quits home in pursuit of his dream of the perfect wave it has the potential to be a bit of a yawner, far from it. The story line, while never rushed or compressed kept me riveted from the first frame to the last. It is beautifully written with just the right amount of clichés, like pepper and salt in the soup one needs to be careful as to what amount is added and in this case it tasted just fine.

The power of the acting was outstanding yet understated with very little ham, near perfect timing plus natural facial and body expression. However, the exceptional performances of Scott Eastwood (Ian McCormack) Rachel Hendrix (Annabel) and Cheryl Ladd (Mrs McCormack) were the key ingredient that transformed this potential cheesecake into a zesty Pavlova. They harpooned my heart and pulled me along to engage with the story, identify with the situations and feel for the characters as events unfolded. Indeed I was wiping away my first tear surprisingly early on in the film.

Another amazing thing about this movie is the way it transformed a relatively sedate early story line into such a dynamic and watchable experience leading up to the hugely dramatic ending with such panache. The praise for this must go to the production team. The cinematography, (especially the wave scenes) the editing, (just one small continuity distraction) the sound, the music (you will want to buy the DVD if it comes out), the lighting, the locations, the effects all perfectly and sensitively encased the story with great creativity and care. This could never therefore be a movie known for its great this or that but for the way in which this and that pulled together to create a beautiful movie.

There is a Christian message conveyed in the movie but done is such a way that it will not offend even the most anti-religious individual but if it did, what a pity it would be to allow one's views of religion to have one miss out on such a wonderful movie experience. Like The Passion of the Christ I believe this film can be enjoyed by all and loved by many. Yes this is a truly remarkable true story and as such, could even become one of the most touching and memorable films you will see. I know, as I am writing this with the effect of the film still stirring my mind and I do not believe the impact of this film will be diluted by the passage of time.

So to sum up this is a film that embraces all that is beautiful about the silver screen, all that is heart rendering about powerful acting and all that is unique in a true story, a story about The Perfect Wave.

Derek Keith

I read most of the reviews on The Perfect Wave ! I really thought the actors did a very decent job portraying their parts ! I'm a big fan of surfing movies ! I've surfed most of my life ! The places they surfed are some of the best in the world ! There seemed to be just the right amount of romance in this story ! It wasn't over the top surfing ! And that really fit in with the story ! It was written from a perspective that surprised me . And I don't think it should or even needed to be in the movie ! Religion has a place, but it definitely shouldn't have been in this film ! The movie was good enough to make me like it until he almost died ! At that point I almost turned it off ! It is worth watching though, but if the ridiculous Religion part was left out I would have scored it higher !

The film is a drawn out tale of a young man seeking to find the perfect wave but in the end finds a different kind of wave. Scott's character appeared aloof, as he should have, but it left the viewer unconvinced and unable to connect. His mother only laughed, cried, or prayed, leaving one with the sense Ian was really running away from the "perfect" family. While the cinematography was reminiscent of Endless Summer, showing superb footage of New Zealand, Australia, Bali/Indonesia, South Africa and Mauritius, and the first song set the tone early on with the waves, and made sense, the overly-loud musical interludes distract the viewer away from the plot. The characters were clumsy and the timing of some of their lines appeared forced and wooden. Ian, spoke without an accent, yet the car pulling into the family's driveway with a foreign license plate gave away that they were not in America, yet it isn't revealed where he lived until after the second act. Some parts, such as when Ian got stung were over-dramatized and drawn out too long, or his mother getting a sense that something was wrong with her son, with no explanation as to why or how, or praying on end, while the important parts, such as the "breakup," which were never seen, left the viewer guessing about Ian's friendship with Anabel, or how he is unaware of her relationship with the brother-in-law whom he was previously friends with. Unsure who the intended audience is, but this isn't a surf movie. While the main message is thought provoking, the movie leaves one asking a lot of questions, but ultimately leaves one with, "Why did I watch this movie?"

Surfing tour following the true story of 24 year old New Zealander, Ian McCormack, via some of the best spots in the Southern Hemisphere in search of the perfect wave and then finding a wave of a different kind. Full marks for excellent cinematography, editing and music. The movie awakens all your senses. Superb footage of NZ, Australia, Bali/Indo, South Africa and Mauritius. Inspires me to travel more. As a non-surfer, it inspires me to surf too. What epic waves and rides. The storyline is gripping and life-changing. Acting was up there too. Main actor is the son of Clint Eastwood. Carried his role very well. I always enjoy movies based on true events. And the main message is thought provoking.

I the past, young people would often leave home at 18, or even younger, to figure out who they are and separate from their parents, to grow up. Ian is immature and all about Ian. He's a surfer and decides to take off on a surfing trip to various locations. The acting isn't perfect. There's just a few known actors and they used some pro surfers that aren't actors. The soundtrack is awesome and fits the movie/setting/theme. Ian was raised Christian. In the time of his greatest need, that's what he turns to. It's far from a perfect movie, but it's a good story. Everyone has their own journey, but you have to put down the PS5 controller, get up off your parents couch, and go find yourself.