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Tuesday
30Dec2008

DVD Review - 'Surfer, Dude'

DateTuesday, December 30, 2008 at 7:50PM
surferdudecover.jpgNow I understand why Surfer, Dude received such a limited theatrical release. The Matthew McConaughey movie, released today on DVD, is certainly no Godfather. Hell, it's not even Godfather III. Still, you really had to work to find it in theaters, since Surfer, Dude was only around for three weeks and never played in more than 100 theaters.

Before I'm misunderstood, this is a bad movie in a lot of ways. If you didn't know it was billed as a comedy, you may not figure it out on your own. McConaughey plays one of the world's top surfers, returning home to southern California to catch some more tasty waves.

What he finds instead is that his old world has changed. The irony is that this is extremely reflective of a film trapped in time.

Perhaps in 1992 or 1995, Surfer, Dude could have worked, but in the way the story moves (slowly) and the style of characters we follow all feel outdated. Strangely enough, so are the cameos, with Willie Nelson, Woody Harrelson and Scott Glenn showing up to give their blessing if nothing else.

The movie is better when it has no ambition than when it briefly does. After all, wouldn't you want a movie about surfing, hanging loose, and a few recreational drugs to lack a certain motivation?

But Surfer, Dude puts McConaughey's wave rider in an uncomfortable corporate situation simply becuase Screenwriting 101 tells us you need conflict. And what's conflict to a surfer? Big money and deadlines. But that's exactly what this movie doesn't need.

You expect this thing to be dumb, and it is, and that's fine. But a dumb dumb movie is better than a dumb smart movie, and Surfer, Dude doesn't have much to offer beyond McConaughey without a shirt. And you can see that anywhere.

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AuthorColin Boyd | | in , , | Print ArticlePrint Article | | CommentPost a Comment |

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