CHASING MAVERICKS (2012)

Genre: Drama
Director: Curtis Hanson
Cast: Gerard Butler, Elisabeth Shue, Leven Rambin, Abigail Spencer, Leven Rambin, Scott Eastwood, Taylor Handley, Channon Roe, Jenica Bergere
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website: http://www.livelikejay.com/

Opening Day: 15 November 2012

Synopsis: CHASING MAVERICKS is the inspirational true story of real-life surfing icon Jay Moriarty (played by newcomer Jonny Weston). When 15-year-old Jay discovers that the mythic Mavericks surf break, one of the biggest waves on Earth, is not only real, but exists just miles from his Santa Cruz home, he enlists the help of local legend Frosty Hesson (Gerard Butler) to train him to survive it. As Jay and Frosty embark on their quest to accomplish the impossible, they form a unique friendship that transforms both their lives, and their quest to tame Mavericks becomes about far more than surfing. Chasing Mavericks was made with the help of some of the biggest names in the surfing world, and features some of the most mind-blowing real wave footage ever captured on film.

Movie Review:

Today’s cinema hasn’t had many movies based on true inspirational events. So when a movie like Chasing Mavericks comes along, telling the real-life story of famed but short-lived surfer Jay Moriarity and promising the kind of uplifting entertainment that has been far removed from the hurtling pace of modern filmmaking, I can’t help but take notice. This feature, though, has been both a blessing and a bit of a curse. The blessing, of course, surrounds the realism of the whole persist-in-the-face-of-overwhelming-odds chicanery. The curse, unfortunately, can come into play when the movie fails to stretch its subject’s appeal and lessons across the general audience. 

This explains why Chasing Mavericks is so grossly uninteresting, plummeted into the ocean’s depths by problems of its own careless doings. Picking up on Jay’s life when he was just 15, the movie traces his quest to conquer gigantic five stories-high waves called Mavericks. To prepare for the waves, he enlists the help of local surfing legend Frosty Hesson (Gerard Butler). The latter could hardly conceal his sadistic streak as he punishes Jay’s enthusiasm with regimental training. Between Jay glowing in a ludicrous child-like glee and recounting the complicated statistics of the waves with laser-like accuracy, it’s easy to judge his passion for the waves, but it’s far harder to really capture his passion.

In a sense, Chasing Mavericks is the most honest and ornate episode of how somebody can easily turn a blind eye to seemingly insurmountable odds as long as there’s a passion running deep. But in not revealing the motivations behind the risk Jay’s willing to bear, the movie struggles to break out of the only-surfers-will-understand-this bubble it has holed itself into and connect with audiences who are less familiar with surfing. Gerard’s character does not help matters, dispensing a panoply of jargon, further enclosing the movie in its overly-engrossed take on the strength of the human spirit and alienating non-surfers.

Given the high entry level already required to really appreciate the movie, the surrounding drama here becomes more important than it should be. Which means it’s more than disappointing to see the material executed in an astonishingly disconcerting fluff. The lack of continuity is apparent as the movie jumps from scene to scene without much in the way of natural progression. Frosty’s healthy wife suddenly dies from a stroke while a girl suddenly falls for Jay even though she has been ashamed of her on-and-off relationship with the younger-aged Jay. One easily suspects that these scenes were shot to facilitate faux emotion-pulling and give Jay’s near-mental obsession with the waves vague meaning.

Which leaves us with the Mavericks as the only real saving grace of the movie.  A fierce beauty drives the cinematography here, and it isn’t surprising because there was an insistence on manually recreating the five stories-tall waves instead of embellishing them with CG details. One of the results of which is the magnificent imagery of a determined Jay tearing across the side of the wave as it attempts to crush down on him. It’s a scene that only a sizeable cinema screen can effectively portray and I would recommend no less.

That said, you aren’t going to watch Chasing Mavericks for the waves. And while the cinematography is pleasing, the overall movie leaves much to be desired. Chasing Mavericks had a chance to make a statement about what it means to overcome odds and use its premise to inspire others to fulfill their passions, but like a child showing off his first toy, the movie is overly-excited and married to the foibles of overzealous surfers so decisively that it will never appeal to the general audience. The surrounding drama is also forgettable at best. Unless you’re a surfing enthusiast, don’t bother.

Movie Rating:

(It’s easy to judge the guy’s passion for waves, but far harder to really capture his passion in this overly-engrossed but miscalculated take on the familiar against-all-odds story)

Review by Loh Yong Jian