Big Wednesday

Rating:
Summary: Superb, more about youth and friendship than surfing
Review: A superb film, possibly the best from a very underrated and criminally underused filmmaker, it is more about youth and friendship than about catching a wave. Beautifully made, from the stunning photography to the fine acting, Milius creates a real sense of place and time, a rich and varied tapestry that in the end is emotionally powerful and rewarding. He gets excellent performances out of limited actors like Vincent and Busey - Lee Purcell is also excellent in what is essentially a decorative role. The film is studded with great small bits, from Godfather 2's Joe Spinell as an Army psychiatrist to John Ford regular Hank Worden.
The commentary track by Milius is very good too. I am no surfer but I loved it.

Rating:
Summary: Just a Lemon next to te pie
Review: Although slow moving at times, this film portrays in more ways than one the interaction of surfing with the rest of life. Through turbulent times and changes in lifestyle, this ode to maturity brings the point home when "has been" surfers still show their stuff to the young crowd during astronomical swell.
Most surf films these days are documentary in nature. This film is more story based although the action scenes still bring on the stoke. I would recommend this picture for any one who wants a slightly different take on beach movies. It is nice to see Jan,Gary, and Bill in their youth.

Rating:
Summary: More than your average surf film
Review: Although slow moving at times, this film portrays in more ways than one the interaction of surfing with the rest of life. Through turbulent times and changes in lifestyle, this ode to maturity brings the point home when "has been" surfers still show their stuff to the young crowd during astronomical swell.
Most surf films these days are documentary in nature. This film is more story based although the action scenes still bring on the stoke. I would recommend this picture for any one who wants a slightly different take on beach movies. It is nice to see Jan,Gary, and Bill in their youth.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: Another classic surf movie! Even my wife likes this one.

Rating:
Summary: Better than most
Review: As far as fictional surf movies go, this is pretty much the best of them. This ofcourse is being compared to lame movies like North Shore, Point Break, In God's Hands, and all those stupid 60's beach party movies. I don't consider movies like Endless Summer I and II in the same genre as any of these movies. The ES documented actual surf adentures with real surfers. Like I said, Big Wednesday is probably the best fictional surf movie out there. I still think many scenes were very cliche and overdone. I am surprised at the majority of reviews. Either they are really high or down to just one star. While I don't think this movie deserves 5 or even 4 stars, it still is an enjoyable film.

Rating:
Summary: A true cult classic for surfers
Review: At the risk of sounding like a total pot-smoking burn out type who sits around all summer and eats cheetos and plays Nintendo I have to start out this review with a very loud and resounding "This movie rules!". Anyway if you are a surfer and are interested in a bit of history on a fictional level about some of the pioneers of the sport then this is the movie to see. Because this movie is unlike any of the other surf movies out there I can't really compare it to them in terms of whether or not it was better than them or not. It's in a class all it's own. From the first rate story-line to the spectacular big wave scenes at the end (spectacular for it's day that is), this movie holds much nostalgia from the 60's surf era. If you wanna go back in time a few decades for a couple of hours and get caught up in what it was like to be part of the surf scene "back in the day" then this is the movie to see. From the old wine cooler beach parties late into the night to the trips down the California coast to Tijuana searching for the right surf conditions this movie captures it all and freezes it in a time capsule in the from of a two hour cinematic documentry of sorts. Two thumbs up and then some is all I can say to end this review.

Rating:
Summary: A true cult classic for surfers
Review: At the risk of sounding like a total pot-smoking burn out type who sits around all summer and eats cheetos and plays Nintendo I have to start out this review with a very loud and resounding "This movie rules!". Anyway if you are a surfer and are interested in a bit of history on a fictional level about some of the pioneers of the sport then this is the movie to see. Because this movie is unlike any of the other surf movies out there I can't really compare it to them in terms of whether or not it was better than them or not. It's in a class all it's own. From the first rate story-line to the spectacular big wave scenes at the end (spectacular for it's day that is), this movie holds much nostalgia from the 60's surf era. If you wanna go back in time a few decades for a couple of hours and get caught up in what it was like to be part of the surf scene "back in the day" then this is the movie to see. From the old wine cooler beach parties late into the night to the trips down the California coast to Tijuana searching for the right surf conditions this movie captures it all and freezes it in a time capsule in the from of a two hour cinematic documentry of sorts. Two thumbs up and then some is all I can say to end this review.

Rating:
Summary: BIG disappointment
Review: before purchasing this movie, i had heard a few rad reports on it that influenced my decision to buy it. however, i stopped the movie not even half way through because i could not stand a seeing this surf movie portraying such a false essence of surfing. the story line sucked and there were not nearly enough surfing shots in the movie. of all the surf movies i have, and have seen ( north shore, in god's hands, endless summer 1 and 2, hit and run, all of these movies are dank) this is the one that i cannot put on my shelf. i recommend that you rent this before you buy it because you will regret it.

Rating:
Summary: Should be called 'Big Buzzkill'
Review: Big Wednesday is more of a coming of age film than a pure surfing movie. There is less than 10 minutes of actual surfing in the entire movie (mostly at the beginning and end). Unfortunately I did not fast forward the film and instead watched the depressing storyline. What ensued were silly bar fights, lost girlfriends, alcoholism, and the death of a friend. On the upside, it was cool to see how much Malibu has changed since the early 70's and the folklore about the Bear - a famous board shaper. It is not a movie to buy (like Endless Summer I & II), but a good rental from Blockbuster.

Rating:
Summary: Yes
Review: BIG WEDNESDAY is, as many have stated, so much more than just a surfie movie. It explores the friendship of three friends over a 10 year period who just happen to all have a surfing passion. A film overlooked by many, yet has a great story to tell with excellent performances by Katt, Busey and Vicent. The surfing aspect is a small part of the overall storyline.

I think the marketing people should have released this DVD title with a different cover as it is misleading and cheapens the movie to a great degree. It is so much more deserving than that.