Rated PG for thematic elements and some intense sequences

By Patrick Sessoms
Beacon Columnist

posted Nov 2, 2012 - 2:22:13pm

Get ready, guys, because Chasing Mavericks is absolutely shameless in its pursuit of daddy issues. This flick tackles a universal theme in the most the most teenybopper way imaginable. It’s a surfing movie that subtly targets the younger members of the audience by sneaking in messages like “drugs are bad.” Seriously, a surfing movie with an anti-drug stance? Harsh.

Johnny Weston stars as surfing legend Jay Moriarity. Back in his youth, he was a hell of a surfer, but not nearly the man he became. So he turns to local big dog Frosty Hesson (Gerard Butler) to train him to surf the biggest swell in California, the legendary Mavericks break (hence the title). Frosty reluctantly agrees, but not before putting Jay through a rigorous training regimen, Mr. Miyagi-style. Along the way, though, Jay meets a totally radical chick (Leven Rambin), and they hook up.

All right, so the plot is a little thin. Well, to be fair, the whole film is a little thin. It would take a man (or, well, a kid) with a certain number of daddy issues to fall prey to Chasing Mavericks’ wiles. Of course, it helped that it plays like a made-for-TV movie. Sure, it’s got some impressive surfing sequences and some beautiful shots of the ocean, but it just moves so slow. It’s hard to get into it when its momentum keeps breaking before the audience can get on board (a little surfing humor). It never really moves forward, and there’s so much melodrama watering it down that halfway through, you begin wondering if it’s lost sight of its overall goal. It gets lost in its own sentimentality before the crew finally came around and realized they were making a movie about surfing.

I’ve been a fan of Gerard Butler since P.S. I Love You, and no matter how many bad movies he makes, I’ll always like him for some bizarre reason. That being said, he phones it a bit in Chasing Mavericks. It’s certainly not his fault; his character goes through such convenient development over the course of the movie. He starts becoming a father just as Johnny Weston’s character really needs one, despite the fact that it’s been shown he’s not much of a dad to his own kids. That’s all overcome, though, as he goes through a 12-week healing process, or something.

To tell the truth, Chasing Mavericks isn’t excruciating. It will please the younger members of the audience. Still, there’s just something a little too sappy about it. Butler and Weston share chemistry, but it’s all too much drivel and not enough action. This is probably one of those movies best left to picking up on DVD , if you’re so inclined.

Stars & Popcorn grade: 2 1/2 stars, 2 popcorn

— Born and raised in the sunshine state, Patrick grew up loving movies. He’s currently attending the University of Central Florida and is a Cinema Studies major. Along with being the president of Stars and Popcorn, he’s a player in the independent comics scene.

Sponsored by Liebe Entertainment Group, Marketplace 8. Click here to see showtimes for Chasing Mavericks

Visit Stars and Popcorn at www.starsandpopcorn.com

— info@beacononlinenews.com

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