Surfing hugely dangerous waves in Hawaii? Yeah, we girls kicked that ass.
Or so we prove in "Blue Crush," a movie that came at the end of summer, but keeps the tingling, relaxing feeling that the days of June and July bring.
Starring Kate Bosworth, last seen in Robert Redford's "The Horse Whisperer," and Michelle Rodriguez known from the independent film stunner "Girlfight," this movie is about girl power in the non-Spice Girl, scary sense of the words.
The story, based on an Outside Magazine article, "The Surf Girls of Maui," by Susan Orlean, centers around Bosworth's character, Anne Marie, who is a competitive surfer training to go big in the ultra-tight, ultra-dangerous Pipe contest. Rodriguez plays Eden, her wisecracking, surf-dedicated best friend.
Anne Marie lives in a beach shack with Eden and Lena, played by newcomer Sanoe Lake, and her younger sister Penny, played by Mika Boorem, last seen in "The Patriot."
The movie delves into deeper ground with the sisters' relationship as Anne Marie is forced to take care of Penny while their mother is AWOL.
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Penny is the typically confused, angry and rebellious 14-year-old, while Anne Marie sees reflections of herself in her younger sister but wants something more for her.
Anne Marie and her friends work as maids at a swank hotel where she gets herself fired when she tells a pro-football player what he can do with his used condom. She then catches the eye of quarterback Matt, played by Matthew Davis, who also starred in "Legally Blonde."
The typical Cinderella romance with Matt follows so Anne Marie can forget about her fear of putting herself out on a limb.
A near-drowning accident continuously haunts her with the voice of every announcer reminding her of the dangers of surfing.
As a true kickass girl, Anne Marie chooses the waves over the boy - in a fashion - and lets go.
The only nice unexpected thing about the film is that, while it has a happy ending, it's more about simply being able to accomplish something that most people wouldn't think girls could do.
But let's throw away the stereotypes and bring on the true grit, such as in Rodriguez's "Girlfight," and see girls street skating and getting bashed around on pavement or knocking each other into the boards during hockey.
"Blue Crush" is a small step in the right direction, but a movie that deals with the subject of bright, athletic girls and stunning all the boys should have more depth.
The romance stuff was OK, but "Girlfight" pulled it off better when Rodriguez's character was forced to box her boyfriend to enter a higher lightweight category. This scene exposed some of the real tension that lies between men and women and their respective sports.
"Blue Crush" is a nice getaway and a definite summer movie, with Rodriguez delivering yet another intense performance as the girl who kicks all ass, and Bosworth pulls off a nice performance as a surfer girl who can overcome the fear and doubt that every athlete must contend with.
All in all, it was worth the $8.50 paid to see it.
