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Created Nov 11, 2012 06:58AM PST • Edited Nov 11, 2012 06:58AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Great 4.0

   Chasing Mavericks puts a well honed Hollywood sports inspiration theme and applies it to the real life story of Jay Moriarty – a Santa Cruz surfing icon who chased his dream to tackle the big breaks at Mavericks. Fact or fiction, the movie is designed to make you fall in love with the seemingly pure of heart Jay (Jonny Weston). Guys will fall in love with his dedication to family and friends, his dedication to succeed and his surfing prowess. The girls will fall in love with his melty-you boy-star looks. Of course, Gerard Butler ain’t chopped liver. His stoic sponsorship of Jay puts him in to the realm of the Kung Fu master training his little grasshopper. Except updated for the 2000’s, and with something way cooler than Kung Fu (IMHO).The story alone is inspirational, and then when Chasing Mavericks plops you in the big ocean, watching big moves in big waves, well, let’s just say I had a few goosebumps.

4. Acting

   Good 3.0

   Jonny Weston is the type of guy who actually reminds those not in the know, that there are good kids who surf. He’s ready for more films – I’m surprised Disney hasn’t snatched him up for something. They guy looks so clean, his teeth glint in the sun.

   Gerard Butler seems like he needed a lot of coaching to get some cogent dialog instead of mere grunting, but seriously, he wasn’t bad – actually very good for a man-of-few-words role. Parts of the script were a tad cheesy, but I’m sure that isn’t his fault.

   Elizabeth Shue was good as Jay’s alcoholic mom. She has more potential than her role allowed for in this film.

   Abigail Spencer similarly (to Elizabeth Shue) had a secondary role that probably could have been far more powerful with a danger to upstage the rest.

   Leven Rambin – pretty enough to pair up with Jonny Weston – and after Hunger Games and this film, I’d expect we’ll see more of her.

5. Male Stars Good 3.0

6. Female Stars Good 3.0

7. Female Costars Good 3.0

8. Male Costars Good 3.0

10. Film

    Great 4.0

11. Direction Great 4.0

12. Play Great 4.0

13. Music Great 4.0

14. Visuals Great 4.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.3

17. Sex Innocent 1.3

18. Violence Gentle 1.3

19. Rudeness Polite 1.3

21. Reality

    Glib 1.6

22. Circumstantial Glib 1.6

23. Biological Glib 1.6

24. Physical Glib 1.6