Part travelogue, part surfing documentary and part love letter to the local tourism board, “The Ultimate Wave: Tahiti” is hardly a hardcore specialty film.
Instead, with the splendor of the Tahitian landscape and the cool gaze of American surfing idol Kelly Slater as its stars, the Imax film explores the formation of volcanoes, the vital presence of coral reefs and the creation of waves — one, the “demonic wave,” in particular.
“It will come when it’s good and ready,” explains Raimana Van Bastolaer, a Tahitian surfing legend who is also Slater’s longtime pal.
Since a film about waiting for a wave wouldn’t exactly tip the thrill-o-meter, director Stephen Low, an Imax veteran, sprinkles this 45-minute journey with intriguing underwater footage and Slater’s dizzying feats, shot with stationary cameras that give viewers an eerie feeling of being dumped off a wave.
Scenes of the admirably athletic Slater and Van Bastolaer holding their breath while carrying rocks underwater as a training exercise and quiet images of schools of fish and turtles in their natural habitats are lovely and tranquil, but the movie blossoms in its high-energy sequences.
A traditional Tahitian fire dance is rather spectacular in Imax, the pulsing rhythms an aural match with the intense twirling of feet and fire sticks. And when the action eventually focuses on Slater in many slow-motion examples of his awesome control inside some monstrous waves, surf enthusiasts will wish the entire movie focused on his aquatic prowess.
Occasionally, the film detours into side notes about Tahitian rituals and superstitions. The information is more in-depth than a Wikipedia entry, but its delivery is marred by cheesy “ghost” drawings of evil spirits floating across the screen.
More interesting is the subtle difference in Slater and Van Bastolaer’s viewpoints toward surfing — at least in Tahiti.
Slater is the consummate competitor, while the reflective Van Bastolaer approaches the sport differently.
“I don’t care much about the competition,” he says. “If you’re connected with the right spirits, you don’t need to chase after the wave. If you are patient, the perfect wave will come to you.”
MOVIE PREVIEW
“The Ultimate Wave: Tahiti”
Directed by Stephen Low. Unrated. At Imax Theatre at Fernbank Museum of Natural History (through Aug. 11). Running time: 45 minutes.
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