Review

by Major T

Awesome rides, no-nonsense approach

'Riding Giants' and 'Billabong Odyssey' are two amazing, recently released big wave movies. "Billabong" is more matter-of-fact and less about a "culture" than Peralta's 'Riding Giants'. Still, it is awesome to behold. In particular, the footage captured at Mauai's "Jaws" is mind-boggling, as is the Tahitian and Australian material. The cinematography is breathtaking and the sound design is very effective. The odyssey itself was a two year enterprise in which a group of ace surfers chased the sun all over the world to ride the perfect mountain of water. The film's initial focus on the group falls away as the narrative progresses. Finally, we're left with almost suicidal wave riding that drops one's jaw to the floor. Australian director Philip Boston adds some interviews and typical doco-style snippets to the whole, but the wave's are the juice and they're pretty damn electrifying.