Surfer, Dude (2008)

Very well executed

Let's be realistic.

Absolutely the worst movie.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Perhaps the reason why so many have reviewed this title in the negative is because they were expecting "Dazed and Confused" on water.IT'S NOT!!!!The movie starts off introducing the super laid back, somewhat irresponsible Steve Addington, or Add as he is referred to in the movie played by Matthew McConaughey. He has been to able to afford to be a carefree hippie surfer because of his sponsor. When his sponsor is bought out by former surfer, now super douche business exec, Add's life takes a dramatic financial turn.Addington's attitude is unwavering though. Because he is a "Surfer dude! I surf." He knows that he will get by even without the money. That is until the waves dry up. California and the entire pacific coast goes flat. Add suffers what can only be described as massive withdraws coupled with delusional psychosis.The morale of this story is 2 fold. 1. Find what you love and do that. 2. "Be careful of what you love brother, cause it can drive you mad!"I would recommend this movie to dudes dating someone who loves Matthew McConaughey. Dudes who like to surf. Dudes who hate corporate America. and yes, dudes who smoke the reefer.AND its not all about the chiseled body of McConaughey, there are plenty of beach bunnies to check out during this movie.

The abortion of thought that went into this film will shock and astonish you. For Mathew McConaughey, studying a role requires little more than his imagination. Rather than given an insightful view of a surfer's life, the audience is simply subjected to an hour and a half of what McConaughey THINKS is a lifestyle that everyone will fall in love with.Surfer Dude lacks all logic and structure. There is not enough substance here for a full movie, and yet, somehow, they managed to record SOMETHING for 85 minutes. The level of contempt McConaughey has shown for his audience is appalling.The movie starts out giving you the gut feeling that they are faking it, that they are some how cheesing it up to make fun of a horrible stereotype. Very quickly you find out that they are absolutely serious, and like a child finding out Santa isn't real, all hopes for a decent movie are lost.About half way through the film, the faint whispers of a plot start to shine through like sunlight in deep water, then the big dark rain cloud that is McConaughey moves in. Isn't there a definition for what a movie is? Simply recording onto 85 minutes of film does not constitute "movie." We're trying to have a civilization here Mathew! From this point on, I am avoiding all McConaughey movies. I will no longer waste my life on truly horrendous trash like Surfer Dude. On my death bed, I will say, "I wish I never saw surfer dude with Mathew McConaughey." and my kids and grand kids will all say "Who's Mathew McConaughey?"

Here is this movie and here I am, someone who liked it. A movie which got huge slaps in the face by critics pointing that this isn't more than something stoners would make for other stoners; and myself who never touched weed or any drugs.Even so, I liked Surfer, Dude. Better to say: I loved it. Because it helped me rethink what is important in life and what isn't.The main character (Addington) represents everything that people living in the cage of the consumer / mass society can only dream about, or should be dreaming about.He is the free man, part of and living with nature. Not a 9 to 5 office worker like the most of us, not someone having only twenty-some days off a year. Not working for the profit (which actually goes to other one's pocket), he is living for living, enjoying life, experiencing the mystery or magic of nature.There is a big contrast in the movie. The artificial vs the real. The video game and reality show versus the real surfing and life under the sun. Inside and outside.Addington is like a creature from another world, but at the end of the film it feels like he is the one from planet Earth (with the goat shepherd and the fisherman) and on the other hand we who made the fields chessboard looking, made the trees stand in order and in the exact same distance from each other in the forest, we are the aliens, or robots. He is the relaxed one we are the frustrated ones. He does only the positive things, and none of the negative ones, not even for money. "Not feelin' it. Not into it". This thing is double stated with the soul/Seoul people scene after the cast, at the very end of the movie.Actually I recommend Surfer, Dude for those, who feel frustrated after work or feel like there is more to life than doing overtime for surplus production.Yes the plot is simple, but has important questions. I accept the statement that the flow of the story is very slow, too. And overall, it could be a little bit better, like everything else.But the stills are beautiful. And in its slow way it gives me a long smile instead of periodic laughter.Chill out with the movie, dude. And think about your life for a minute.

This movie is about simplicity of life being threatened by too much greed. Our American life has decayed so far out of simplicity that there's now a whole generation that has no idea what a simple life is like. No wonder so many people don't get this movie! I surf and have for 20 years. I know a lot more surfers who are like these guys than aren't! All these guys whining about this not "being real" in regards to surfing need to lighten up a bit. Surfing used to be a lot of fun until it became mainstream and overcrowded. That's why I usually paddle over to the next peak to get away from the crowds even if it's not as good. This movie is more about a guy who loves his lifestyle and having it threatened by extinction than anything else. Take example from Tyler Durdin and "just let go". Let go of expectations and you might just find a gem right under your nose.