Let's be realistic.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Though Bruce Brown had been making films about surfing since the 1950s, his 1966 feature, "The Endless Summer", was his first film to receive a nationwide release. It is regarded as a classic of the "surfing genre".A quasi-documentary, "The Endless Summer" watches as two surfing buddies (Robert August and Mike Hynson) decide to "follow summer" around the globe. With just their surfboards, some cash and a few spare clothes, they hop aboard a plane and embark upon their quest. This journey takes them from Hawaii to Africa to Australia to Tahiti to America, each location offering an opportunity to mingle with locals, admire coastlines and ride waves."The Endless Summer" captures a very specific zeitgeist: a seemingly carefree time, untroubled, each day wrapped in a cocoon and so untouched by the outside world. The film's bohemian gait is contradicted by its pseudo-fascist aesthetic, which glorifies flesh, white bodies, holds an unconsciously racist attitude, and stresses a Man vs Nauture dichotomy in which the surfer exists solely to test himself, his limits, and assert himself over a roiling cosmos. Surfing, then, becomes a hermetic arena of self-mastery. It is not just an art-form, but an aesthetic and ascetic life choice. No surprise, then, that this film would influence uber-right winger John Milius (himself a Malibu surfer), and the Zen-fascism of his own surf classic, "The Big Wednesday".7/10 – Worth one viewing. See the excellent "Lifeguard" (1976).

The name Bruce Brown was a name I hadn't heard until I saw The Endless Summer. Apparently, he is the king of surfing documentaries, a thing I didn't know there was a king of. The Endless Summer is allegedly his quintessential surfamentary and it's really the only one people talk about. It chronicles the journey of two ace surfers as they follow the Summer season around the globe to ride the waves in all sorts of exotic locations like Africa, Australia, and Tahiti. The film has no dialogue from the people in it, only Bruce Brown's narration which fills us in with all the information we need to know to follow this story of an endless summer.This is a particularly light hearted documentary that is solely for entertainment value to those who find its subject matter interesting. If you're interested in surfing I suppose you would love this movie because about 90% of the footage of the film is actual surfing. If you don't really care about surfing, like myself, The Endless Summer doesn't do much for you. I personally found it a little bit boring and somewhat pointless. However, I can't say that it's a bad film because it's easy to tell what a great surfing documentary it is, even if you couldn't care less about the sport.Even if you don't care about surfing there are still all sorts of beautiful locations that the two surfers and Bruce Brown visit in this film that are marvelous to look out. In this film you see some of the most beautiful ocean water you will ever see, and some truly perfect waves that you won't see on any beach in America. I can appreciate this and it makes The Endless Summer a slightly more interesting film to someone who has no interest in surfing. Of course, this film is all about the surf, and no time is really devoted to the beauty of the locations or the variety of cultures traveled to here. All the focus is on surfing, and we have to take it upon ourselves to notice the kind of beauty this subject matter is immersed in.You have to constantly remind yourself that this is nothing more than a documentary about surfing, so you have to cut it slack for not devoting time to things a non-surfer would find more interesting. However, one of the truly strange things about the film is it's sense of humor at times. It's a very easy going documentary with a light hearted and sarcastic sense of humor, but this humor is also a bit awkward at times. Some of the remarks about the African natives sometimes come off as insensitive, though not blatantly so. It's nothing that makes you do a double take, and I'm sure Brown means well in his narration, but there are a few remarks that just seem off. Who knows. Maybe it just comes with the times. It didn't bother me much, but I couldn't help but notice it, and it stayed on my mind throughout the film.The Endless Summer is perfect for a surfer who wants to watch a surfing documentary. If you're not a surfer and you want to watch a surfing documentary you might feel just a little indifferent about this film. It's not bad, in fact it's well made overall, but it won't really stick with me by any means.

Bruce Brown's documentary about two people who travel the world in search of the perfect wave was deemed so culturally significant that it's now part of the National Film Registry and now preserved in the Library of Congress.This movie is a love song to surfing. Obviously Brown loves surfing and movie making and his photography is stunning. What you marvel at in this film is that it all seems so effortless. The two stars are obviously fabulous surfers, but they make the surfing look so easy. Obviously it isn't. This is evident when they meet local surfers on their travels and their skill is readily apparent. The music is perfect for this movie. The soundtrack by the Sandals, just rolls through the film like the soft waves that roll through this movie. Unlike many sports type documentaries the music doesn't distract from the film, or seem gratuitous. It just fits.** This paragraph may contain some mild spoilers ** The movie is a wonderful timepiece of a world that no longer exists. Travel to Africa was exotic in 1963, when this film was made. Some of the countries that these men visited are now too dangerous to visit today. Gas in Africa was an outrageous $1.00 a gallon! Other funny details pop up on their travels, that make this movie just quaint. The innocence of this era is breathtaking. The pair just run into people and are not afraid. Also as American's they are welcome everywhere they go. Contrast that with today, where many countries are now too dangerous for American's to travel to. What happened in the last 46 years to change this? I don't know.**Probably the most amazing thing about this movie is that while it's about surfing, it's not really about surfing at all. It's a movie about the joy of living your life doing what you want to do, and uses the vehicle of surfing to tell that story. You don't have to surf to enjoy this movie. You just have to enjoy life to enjoy this movie. A perfect movie for a cold winter day, or a day when you are feeling down, or up for that matter. Recommended without reservation.

THE ENDLESS SUMMER is a terrific Documentary and a really great "trip" (in every sense of the word) to another era: the 1960's.Basically, the film is a photographic journal of two American surfers who start off from California, USA, and travel the world to find "the perfect wave". We follow them as they travel, and, if we're in a receptive mood, we have a lot of fun also. The film includes most of their trip, but the focus is on their journey through North and South Africa, New Zealand,Hawaii, Tahiti and Australia.The film features some typical surfer humour that some would find a bit "lame", but it always makes me laugh. One silly example: The two surfers pack their bags for their trip. One of them reads about possible shark attacks. The next thing that we see is the other one packing a single "band-aid"...for emergencies! Typical surfer humour!! Interestingly, but unfortunately for us, the only place the boys can't find a decent surf is here, in Australia! During their Australian trip they are constantly told by the younger and older surfers alike: "You guys really missed it. You should have been here yesterday!" This really means: "You guys really missed it. You should have been here last winter!" There are so many good things in the film to enjoy: the laconic narration by Bruce Brown; the personalities of the two surfers, Robert and Mike; the evocative music score; the excellent photography and editing; and the scenic locations all combine to make this a great experience. This is one of the few films that will make you really appreciate surfing...and documentary films. It's a fine example of how to make an imaginative film with a small budget. THE ENDLESS SUMMER is truly one trip definitely worth taking!