Blue Crush
Universal Pictures | Release Date: August 16, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
61
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews
Positive:
19
Mixed:
13
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
Works on two levels. First, it's a pure celebration of riding the waves. -- Second, Blue Crush is a clear-eyed portrait of the unique kind of power that women possess, a power that shows us that victory doesn't always mean vanquishing someone else. Either way, it's thrilling. Read full review
90
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
A big, sexy, sun-splashed thrill ride, is what a summer movie ought to be: not totally mindless, but more interested in jangling your nerves than engaging your brain. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
The final 20 minutes of Blue Crush can stand as one of the few highlights in a movie summer of mostly hollow action-carnival fireworks. The trick, for once, isn't that we're watching superhuman stunts; it's that we're watching deeply human stunts. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
That's what Blue Crush is getting at: girls going for the gold in a sport that's traditionally been the domain of men. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
Frankly, with so much to feast my dazzled eyes upon, I barely noticed that the plot was missing in action. And that's because the action itself is so pure. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
I expected another mindless surfing movie. Blue Crush is anything but. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
Fun and frivolous, packed wave to wave with gorgeous young creatures reveling in their physical prowess. Read full review
75
New York PostJonathan Foreman
Surprisingly smart and satisfying. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
A summer movie that knows it's a summer movie. You don't go to this film for the story, but for the scenery: Bikini-clad girls riding waves, surf photography as beautiful as it is breathtaking, sun, surf, sand, even a little PG-13 romance. Read full review
70
SlateDavid Edelstein
That's what these sequences feel like -- a sensual uproar. They almost make this small, unresolved little movie feel mythic. Read full review
70
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Bosworth is a star in the making, but even she can't outshine the surfing footage, which is flat-out spectacular. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyHazel-Dawn Dumpert
For the most part, the action, shot entirely on Hawaii's famed North Shore without blue screens or tanks, is awesome, all swirling turquoise tubes, thundering foam hammers and sleek, graceful riders. Read full review
70
The New York TimesDana Stevens
It's hard to resist being swept up in Blue Crush, not least because David Hennings's shimmery photography carries the breeze and spray of the island right into the theater. The movie is also the latest example of a subgenre that might be called feminexploitation. Read full review
70
SalonCharles Taylor
Offers the most intense visual experience I've had at the movies all year. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleKimberley Jones
The script also takes the occasional dip into hokeyness, but even that is buoyed by its ballsy leading ladies. Read full review
63
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Blue Crush is such a blast to look at, it seems a shame to talk about its formulaic plot, cliched dialogue and absolute predictability. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Not the sanctioned wet T-shirt contest you might be anticipating. The Pacific is the hottest body here. And director John Stockwell handles the frivolous material with an integrity that I have to admit I found disappointing. The movie isn't nearly dumb enough to be much beach fun. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
Don't forget the waves. They're the stars of this show, and Blue Crush smartly never lets you forget it. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Without the impressive photography and energetic action sequences, Blue Crush would have been a lot worse. But, if the filmmakers had invested in real characters instead of cardboard cut-outs, it would have been a lot better. Read full review
60
VarietyScott Foundas
All the trappings of an energetic, extreme-sports adventure, but ends up more of a creaky "Pretty Woman" retread, with the emphasis on self-empowering schmaltz and with the big-wave surfing that gives pic its title seemingly an afterthought. Read full review
60
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
Contains enough exciting surf scenes that it could almost get by on visceral thrills alone. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneRobert K. Elder
If you can simply get lost in the crushing splendor of the waves themselves, the script might not leave you so seasick. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Overcomplicates its plot and spends a lot of time floundering around in the shallow end. Read full review
50
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
When there's no dialogue, this film stays right in the pipeline. When characters open their mouths, it ends up in the tripeline. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Just one big wipeout. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineSteve Simels
The lead girls are easy on the eyes, and comic Faizon Love, who plays one of Matt's non-surfing, sumo-wrestler-size teammates, nearly steals the show when the girls teach him a few of their better moves. Read full review
50
Village VoiceDennis Lim
Director John Stockwell keeps the proceedings casual, and the film is admirably at ease with its dutifully trite plot and porn-worthy dialogue (most of which vanishes under the crash of a wave or the roar of a jet-ski anyway). Read full review
50
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
Blue Crush, which might appear exciting in an "Endless Summer"/"Where the Boys Are" kind of way, actually is really boring. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Skip the first hour or so, but grab a seat in time for the surfing contest that climaxes the picture, complete with mile-high waves and the most graceful ocean-gliding this side of "The Endless Summer." Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderBill Stamets
The plot is as skimpy as their bikinis. Read full review
40
New Times (L.A.)Luke Y. Thompson
Unless you count "Lilo & Stitch," this is the first of several surfer-girl movies out of the gate, and it seems clear that in the rush to put it out there, a script was the last thing on Universal's mind.
40
Wall Street JournalNancy deWolf Smith
Be warned: Although it was filmed on the North Shore of Hawaii's Oahu island, this is a surf movie, not a surfing movie. As for the empowered-girl premise -- well, the kids may not notice, but Blue Crush is about as progressive as a Virginia Slims commercial.
30
Film ThreatRon Wells
I'm sure that an interesting film could easily be made about girl surfers, this just ain't it. Read full review
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