RIDING GIANTS
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
After documentarian Stacy Peralta's success with the energetic and irreverent DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS about the history of skateboarding, it must have seemed natural for Peralta to turn next to surfing. RIDING GIANTS starts off with a two-minute background lesson in the sport's Polynesian origin but quickly turns its attention to big wave surfing -- the riding of the biggest and meanest waves that can be found anywhere on the planet.
There is some discussion of surfing culture, with a typical comment being that surfing is "not just a sport but a statement." This sport is probably unique in that it was a movie that provided the genesis for the explosion in the sport's popularity. Within five year after GIDGET was release in 1959, the number of surfers in the world went from five thousand to three million, according to RIDING GIANTS.
Peralta assembles an impressive collection of talking heads from among those legends of the sport who haven't been killed. Some of the best have perished, as the risks are enormous even for the best trained and the most talented.
Although surfers will undoubtedly love this documentary, others, especially those who have seen DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS, will probably be disappointed. The interviews really aren't all that interesting unless you're a surfing buff, and the film clips, while accurate, are usually washed out and not especially impressive. Almost completely absent is the awesome sound of the surf which conveys much of its power. A recent fictional film, BLUE CRUSH, had dramatically better cinematography and infinitely better sound.
RIDING GIANTS runs too long at 1:45. It is rated PG-13 for "brief strong language" and would be acceptable for all ages.
The film is playing in nationwide release now in the United States. In the Silicon Valley, it is showing at the Camera Cinemas.
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