Customer Reviews

Soul Surfer

5 star:		(204)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I just went this afternoon to the matinee, and wow what a good movie!! A main theme of the movie is that good can come out of bad. Also, it shows how we can help others through our personal tragedies and that life is not over when bad things happen to us. There is a plan for everything. I was very impressed with all the acting, special effects and the family friendly tone. There are zilcho swears. Even in the characters' darkest moments, there are no typical overused omg's or anything that would indicate they were angry at God or anyone else. They don't shy away from Christian references but present it accurately, the way the family and Bethany responded in the situation. I was impressed that the faith message that was natural, but not preachy. Also, the Bible verse quoted was from Jeremiah 29:11 and really if you were of another faith you wouldn't be offended by it I don't think. In the credits they show interviews with the real Bethany and she mentions Jesus there. However, that's who she is! Some of the critics have said oh she was too calm or sweet...but I didn't see it this way at all. In fact, in real life, it was her calmness that helped save her life!! She wasn't screaming but was in shock as well I think. I think she is just a very calm person. Later it showed how hard it was for her to deal with the loss of her limb from a functional standpoint and emotionally such as when she worried about not being attractive to boys. All the relationships and reactions were very typical of real people...nothing forced at all. It is clear how good the relationships are between the parents and among the siblings but they interact and argue like NORMAL people. Bethany has said in real life interviews that she said that she and her competitors weren't that catty with each other, like with the antagonist they created for the movie. However, her response to the girl is very good which shows young people that being nice to someone gets you a whole lot further and can change the person. It also showed how she dealt with her celebrity status and how that was a real challenge. The other part critics say isn't realistic is about her artificial arm...but it's very common for amputees to reject a prosthesis when it's for their upper limb. Tony Melendez (singer and plays 12-string guitar with his feet) did the same thing and he found he could function more easily without the prosthesis. There are some beautiful shots of Hawaii and the underwater/wave effects were just breathtaking. I definitely recommend this movie and am looking forward to having the blu-ray/dvd!

This is one of the best movies I have ever seen.. Period. It is a movie you can take your whole family to and not be afraid of them being exposed to any kind of crude jokes or bad refrences. There is not one curse word in the movie and it's hard to get that these days, even in cartoons.! It is a wonderful movie of faith, family, and never giving up.! So inspirational and just a great all around movie.! They also did a good job staying true to Bethany's story.! Loved it and would see it again in a heartbeat! Can't wait until it comes out so I can buy it.! =)

OK. I will go ahead and start with "do not miss this movie!!!!!!!" There-I got that out of the way.

We have just returned from the theater and so I thought I would share some of my thoughts. I am going to assume most people know the story so there is no reason to go into that. Also, since most of the critics have panned the film you know it is an excellent movie. It is an amazingly inspirational film-depending on your emotional quotient in a movie theater you may want to have some Kleenex with you. My next statement will either encourage you or depress you. The Christian message in this film is quite overt-and I do mean overt! If you are a Christian and have seen films that are supposed to be Christian in nature you have become accustomed to either seeing the message extremely watered down or so different from the real thing that is becomes just about unrecognizable. Such is not the case with Soul Surfer.

While it may take some time to get accustomed to seeing Dennis Quaid singing worship songs and reading the Bible along with Carrie Underwood quoting Jeremiah 29: 11, the result is satisfying. As a Christian there were a couple of things that I appreciated. First, the Christians in the film are not a series of one dimensional characters-there is questioning, fear, anger, despair along with many of the other emotions one would expect in a set of such devastating circumstances. Secondly, the power of faith and the Scripture are put visibly on display. There are a number of very powerful moments in the film-especially when a missions trip is embarked on with World Vision to Southeast Asia following the tsunami of 2004.

Of course there will be those that disdain the movie simply because of it's honest portrayal of Christianity. Then there will be the cynics among us. The first type of cynic that will emerge is the same one who will complain that Christianity doesn't work in real life-thus it is a problem when we see such a clear example of when it does "work." Then there is the complaint of the lack of realism because "everything turns out in the end." This would be the same person who will weep at the "Rocky" type film when everything works out-but then complain when the happy ending story happens to be true.

Now let me speak to the person who complains that Hollywood never puts out anything good-so they don't go see anything. Please realize that movie makers don't care how much you complain-they care about how much money they make. So if you think this is the kind of film that you would like to see more of then support this one. Go see it-in the theater-and then go see it again! You will be glad you did.

This movie was wonderful! The cinematography was beautiful. I especially loved the shots filmed through the pipeline as she surfed and the scenes shot looking up through the surface of the water. I scuba dive and love to look up through the water. It adds dimension and energy to the scenes. The special effects were just awesome. The actress really looks like her arm is missing. Just incredible. The acting was top-notch. It is everything I am looking for in a good movie. Drama, warmth, realism, up-lifting. This young girl is a real inspiration. There are those who might not want to watch because the message is overtly Christian, but I would ask the question, "Have you seen the movie, Ghandi? Or Seven Years in Tibet?" Did you avoid them because they were overtly about their religious beliefs? Watch with an open mind and be inspired by this young girl and the God who gave Bethany such courage and perseverance.

I admit that I am not normally one who likes to have faith mixed in with my movie. I normally find myself more interested in the fantastical worlds such as Mirrormask, the amazing adventures of Doctor Who, the mindless bloodshed of Resident Evil, or the quirky humor of Shawn of the Dead than an inspirational film such as this. But every once in awhile I find a little gem that is just too good to not watch, and this movie most definitely fits the bill.

Some people have issue with the faith based overtones. I've though about it for awhile and decided that this is my answer to those issues: It doesn't matter if a film has a Christian overtone, Buddhist overtone, no overtone, somewhat of a maybe overtone or whatever. A good movie is a good movie, and this film is definitely a good movie. From what I've seen in interviews and the like, Bethany and her family are deeply religious people whose faith helped them deal with this. I would say that if there WASN'T an overtone it would do the story a disservice.

So why the 4 stars? This is a slight bit of overacting at parts in my opinion, plus, while I find this an excellent film I do not put it with my favorite all time films ever. I would give it a 4.5 but that is not an option.

This movie was Triumphant!
What a story of Courage, Strength, Heart, Will, and Accomplishment!
This Girl shows all of us what is possible on this earth!!!

The movie went at a good pace... I took my 7 year old daughter with me, and neither of us were bored or un-content during the film.
The theater was full, but you could hear a pin drop, as every single person was intently staring in AWWW at the big screen...
I found myself shedding a few tears at various times!

I compare this movie with the likes of Cinderella Man, The Hurricane, Remember the Titans & Secretariat.

Helen Hunt & Dennis Quaid did fantastic in their respective roles...

I loved at the end of the movie, while the credits played, they played video clips of the real girl behind the amazing story! The clips also updated what she did in her life after the accident!
I would love to meet this girl someday!!!

I give this movie an A+, and reccomend you go and see it on the big screen!
Thanks for reading my review...

I have a hard time reviewing "Soul Surfer" because I liked the movie a lot (five stars) but I squirmed in my seat a little when the Christian stuff came up. If the heroine had been a devout Hindu or Buddhist or even Muslim I don't think the religious content would have bothered me. But hyping Christianity makes me want to duck and hide. I know this is a personal problem. It has to do with politics rather than religion. In the U.S. fundamentalist Christianity is connected to the Tea Party movement, which I absolutely abhor (I'm convinced Jesus would too). In a nut shell, I really liked the fact that the movie had great actors, no profanity or toilet humor, a great message of acceptance and inclusion, wonderful characters. And I didn't even know I personally had a problem with Christian content until I saw the movie. And I hate myself for being so narrow minded. As far as I know, in real life the heroine and her family are very religious and the movie got it just right. I'm going to work on keeping politics out of how I view entertainment, or religion for that matter.

I can't wait to have this DVD in my collection. It is a family friendly feature that I can watch over and over again with my grandchildren, nieces and nephews, (and the adults won't be bored by it either). It is about family and faith and overcoming adversity and giving back. Every actor was perfect for their role. The scenery is beautiful as is the message. I am also looking for a soundtrack for the movie. If I could give this movie 10 stars I would! Bethany Hamilton is a true American Hero, for all the right reasons!

I must admit I wasn't sure I'd like this movie. When I heard the Family Friendly, religious/spiritual, Christian appellations being thrown around i was skeptical. I avoided it in the theaters because of this - my mistake.
Even with the outstanding cast of Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, Keven Sorbo, Craig T. Nelson and the lovely irrepressible AnnaSophia Robb, I was wary. I was wrong.
I knew it was about Bethany Hamilton and remembered the 2003 shark attack incident but that was about it. After reading up about her online and watching some You Tube videos I decided to give it a try. I loved it! Not as sappy sentimental as I feared it would be, not as 'preachy' as I expected it to be and definitely not as cheesy as most of these type of films are. This is a professionally made story of a surfer girl, a champion athlete, who happens to live her Christian witness every day of her life and actually believes in a matter of fact way you don't often see portrayed on film.
The surfing scenes are real, not hopped up or CGI exaggerated for excitement, this is the authentic thing. The acting is very good to outstanding. The story is beautiful and presents a real family as normal with normal problems but not dysfunctional as so many other movies both regular and Christian do for dramatic effect. Granted, they do live in Paradise (according to many, not me, never wanted to go there) and the laid back lifestyle is revealed in all its happiness and joy that many who live there brag about.
I recommend this movie to anyone wanting to be uplifted regardless if they are Christian or not, religious/spiritual or not but can appreciate life to the full.

the most inspirational movie ever ! it really brings out the truth that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!!!!