STORM SURFERS 3D (Justin McMillan, Chris Nelius). 95 minutes. Opens Friday (June 28). For venues and times, see listings. Rating: NNN
Aging thrill-seekers Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones chase monumental waves in the southern hemisphere, ride on the edge of disaster and come out alive, though sometimes barely. They don’t know when to call it quits… and neither does this doc.
Like the imposing waves they surf, Storm Surfers 3D is front-loaded with massive force, thanks mainly to spectacular visuals. Cameras are mounted on nearby boats, hovering helicopters and even on surfboards, capturing the action from every possible angle and leaving little to the imagination about coming face-to-face with deadly surges.
The crisp 3D really puts you in the moment, whether that’s within the crest or under water. And just when you think you’ve seen enough, Mother Nature throws a few more breathtaking compositions your way.
The excitement eventually peters out, though. Carroll and Clarke-Jones insist that the good times keep rolling with a macho mentality that, while charming at first, borders on stupidity. Either there’s not much more to them or the doc would rather just stick to the surface, refusing to dive deeper into their personalities.
They make great tour guides, but riding waves can only take you so far.
