carkeysmcgee
I watched the original a few days ago, and I absolutely fell in love with some of the beaches and scenery that were in that one, as well as Bruce Brown's down-to-earth narration, so I might have put the first one up on a pedestal, but I really didn't like this updated sequel, as it was kinda like watching the Eagles in concert after they are all like 50 years old, or how embarrassing the Beach Boys were back in the '80s.The main sensory problem I got with this movie is the poor Gary Hoey soundtrack. The original had more smooth grooves to go along with the zenlike sport, but the Gary Hoey electric guitar kinda turns surfing into a violent and unsettling experience. The photography is still as beautiful as the original, but fails in the interesting department.Likewise, the movie itself seemed more forced. I noticed Bruce wrote it with his wife, and also there was some talking parts and some dumb staged humor (the original had the same, but they didn't resort to the real people acting and having dialogue, more of pantomimes). The only difference between this movie and somebody's surfing home movies is the better cinematography and the title of "Endless Summer", but other than that, you tend to lose interest in the film if you're not a surfer, whereas the original was about more than surfing; it was about interpersonal relationships and traveling aimlessly with a sense of adventure, not sight gags and a planned itinerary.
shino
this film lives up the hype of being even better than the legendary original. the style is precisely that of the original, but the leap is the technical quality of the photography. much of the photography is so beautiful and astonishing that it looks like james cameron computer generated it. you watch it, thinking "how the heck did they film that?" now i am a jersey boy, born in nyc, know nothing about surfing. but i know a great film and this is one.
RNMorton
"Sequel" to The Endless Summer is just as good, with Bruce Brown again following two young surfers on a round-the-world quest for perfect waves. Film never lets up, and the location photography and narration are just as good as in the original. Enhanced by return visits to some of the locales from the first movie. Highly recommended whether you surf or not.
