I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

"In a world that was so regimented in the 1960s, surfing was freedom," says Ken Bradshaw, a 49-year-old Texan who in 1998 surfed the biggest recorded wave in history. Bradshaw's just one of the elite featured here - an oddball collection of rock 'n' rollers, thrill-seekers and hermits. For these men and women the sport seems almost sexual, with their talk of "thrusts", "swells" and "peaks".Like latter-day Argonauts, the search for surf takes them across the globe, and the rewards - personal or pecuniary - are staggering. To carry the analogy, if Brad Gerlach, once ranked number two in the world until he unexpectedly quit, is Jason, then Mike Parsons (Gerlach's arch-rival) is the crew's Orpheus, monkish and self-contained. And it's Parsons who tops and tails the film, surfing a 70 foot wave - named Cyclops, after the one-eyed monster in 'The Odyssey' - before the might of nature crashes down upon him. For that feat, at 'Jaws' in Hawaii, he'd win a perfect 10 and make surfing history.But this is more than a Who's Who of surfers: interspersed with personal stories - from the likes of Ken 'Skindog' Collins, one of the 'Santa Cruz Boys' who surf all day and party all night. We discover how being a surfer in the 1980s meant being a corporate whore - as Gerlach, pictured in flashback festooned with sponsorship labels, more walking advertisement than human, soon discovered.If the 1990s saw advances in weather forecasting, computer technology pinpointing bigger waves with a high degree of accuracy, we also learn how water-sports are now cross-pollinating, combining aspects of gliding and snowboarding. It's a truly transcendental moment as "'surf-scientist' Rush Randle demonstrates aerial-acrobatics on his hydrofoil board, affording the film a quiet majesty all too often interrupted by an MTV rock soundtrack.The cinematography is incredible, but this stuff would look impressive on home video. Importantly, the dangers of surfing are made perfectly clear: in surfing spots that translate as "Broken Skulls" in Tahitian, it's shocking to suddenly see the odd flash of crimson amid the blue, white and green.

"Stepping Into Liquid", "Riding Giants" and "Billabong Odyssey" are three amazing, recently released big wave movies and I like them all. "Liquid" is less esoteric than Peralta's "Riding Giants" and "Billabong" is more matter-of-fact and less about a "culture". Still, it is awesome to behold. In particular, the footage captured at Mauai's "Jaws" is mind-boggling, as is the Tahitian and Australian ("Cyclops") 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. The film's opening ride, reprised later in the movie, is stunning.

There are many surf- special interest movies- out there but they are very hard to rent or buy in mainstream joints. When you are interested in the sport/pastime like me you tend to rent any one that comes along in Blockbusters. What attracted me to this effort was it wasn't just a Green Day soundtrack to bleached blonde guys, surfing; it had some narrative as well as big waves and babes.The documentary follows seven big wave surfers on their quest 'The Billabong Odyssey' to ride the worlds biggest waves with the help of the latest technology to find the boiling, angry breakers where ever they are on the planet at anyone time. It's a fast response project-led by Shawn Baron- where the guys-typical flashy American souls surfers- are on call where ever they are in the world and assemble to take on a big storm of reef when the conditions are right, where ever that may be, in search of the mythical 100ft monster.The ambitious project has restrictions as all the guys are big names in the sport and have other things going on and you do feel that the odyssey is really about making a spectacular big screen documentary from minimal time and footage than actually seeking out the biggest waves in the most romantic and obscure places.Off we go… The boys use a method called Toe-surfing, a recent innovation in the sport during the nineties where big wave surfers can get on top of a wave that's too big and powerful to paddle into by normal means so use the toe of a jet ski. The powerful motor bikes on water also allow the guys to be rescued just as quick during a dramatic wipe-out.The film opens in the most spectacular style and if you saw this in the movie house then I bet it was something. The water based camera has a surfer and a jet ski in shot, and then as it pans away the surfer breaks free from the toe and the board grips the water that's strangely sloped. The camera pans further out as the wave wall grows and he shrinks. The camera keeps panning out as he keeps shrinking on this enormous, cresting wave of deep blue-green with surfer, Mike Bradshaw ,a mere ant on the side of a mountain when the camera stops. It really is a quite extraordinary thing to see and worth renting just for that.The guys set out on their three year adventure by taking on a local break they know well that produces 50 footers called 'Todos'. This sets us up for what's to come as the guys tackle the South Californian coastal island break to you're a-typical, rock soundtrack. It's of to a Mexican reef break called Cortex Bank next that's 45 miles out in the ocean where beautiful ,big waves break majestically like dancing mermaids in the middle of nowhere, which again is mesmerising to see.After a few trips to Europe after big storms the boys are ironically back at Hawaii and the legendary 'Jaws' in Maui, known as the biggest, consistent break in the world. After all the great plans, advanced weather reports and technology use its here that they will find that mythical wave. Not only is it 'stoked' out there but the island and pro-tour is holding its first ever toe-surf event on the mighty wave and the boys have entered.Other aspects to the film are the guys back stories and how their time in the game has seen the sport evolve and become the commercial pose it is today. Now you can surf with wind boards or even aerofoil now the feet can be strapped to the board and with guys pushing it to the limit with wings on the kit it won't be long until you can fly over the waves.Should you rent it… After the tragic tsunami events that seemed to have some sort of biblical significance considering the Boxing day impact and Easter after shocks it was the surfers in those exotic locations who stayed on to help organise the clean up. Surfing is a religion to and the waves are the Gods and if you still haven't a real perspective on how big the tidal wave was that slapped into Indonesia then watch this.If you want to see attractive, bleached surfers having a great time out there while we slave away at the desk then it's achieved its objective. This is the unattainable dream, the big dream, the ultimate freedom if you like from your armchair and these guys are living it for you. When ever you see surfers doing their thing and living the life with all the girls and stuff you do wonder how they pay for it though. The truth is that 300 days a year they are making a buck and in a suit or a warehouse to fund it and only a handful earn a livable wage from it. But its nice to dream….

I was very excited to see this movie after recently seeing the superb "Step Into Liquid". After sitting through this movie I am a little disapointed. It was good, just not as good as it should have been. Watching the big wave surfing was amazing at first but the thrill seemed to die out after the first 45 minutes and left you with the feeling that you are watching the same senario over and over. This movie is great if you are interested in learning about tow in big wave surfing but as a regular surfer it was over kill on the particular subject with no real payout at the end. 6/10