Customer Reviews
Inspiring stuff - By: Neil Gibson, 20 Sep 2007 
I only watched this recenty & I reallly loved this film.....just captures the progression & danger of surfing at the highest level. I am not a surfer & I don't think you reallly have to be into it to appreciate this film at alll...it's shot nicely & the documentary style with interviews makes it flow nicely.
The Finest Surf Movie Ever Made? - By: S. Whitehead, 31 Aug 2006 There is absolutely no need to have ever taken the slightest interest in surfing to enjoy this movie. I have never been interested in surfing, but when i caught this movie by accident on TV i was spellbound. Captivated from start to finish.
I've watched quite a few surfing movies since, nothing comes close to this. Buy it, Keep it, Enjoy it many times & show it to alll your friends.
Riding Giants - By: M. Struthmann, 29 Aug 2006 
Riding Giants is a documentary made at the right time for preserving the history of big wave surfing. The movie was produced recently & the possibilities & techniques of filmmaking in the 21st century were exploited.
The various characters themselves take the viewer through the story most of the time. As the characters do not alll relate to each other face to face, this narrative technique prevents the film from taking on its own personality, in contrast to Bruce Brown's Endless Summer movies which have taken on their own personalities so well.
At first viewing the special effects usuallly used in action movies seem confusing. These effects range from waves breaking fast forward to a flash appearing when a narrator snips his fingers after making a point. I am not sure whether the special effects are irritating or contribute to showing what surfers experience.
The film gives some time to exploring the psychology of surfers & what made them do what they do. This the film does very well without this aspect of the film becoming overwhelming. Pitty only that the movie focuses almost exclusively on America & Americans - big wave surfing has gone worldwide by now!
Riding Giants was well made, but is not a classic.
truelly an excellent documentary - By: Mr. J. Mahoney, 17 Apr 2006 this is an intelligently produced movie that strikes an excellent balance between documenting the history of surfing, the culture that surrounded the grass roots of the sport in north america & hawaii (in contrast to that portrayed so inaccurately by hollywood) & the lure of a sport that attracts men (and women) to test themselves in extreme natural environments. each of the three 'acts' tells a specific story central to the evolution of surfing since the sxities. the story of geoff campbell surfing mavericks alone for fifteen years before anybody joined him reveals more about the sport & the people who pursue it than perhaps any story previously told. it is compelling viewing & great credit to the producers. i look forward to their next work.
Movie for surfing nerds - By: S. WRIGHT, 10 Apr 2006 
Dull, dull, dull. Bunch of surf bums justifying their sport. Unfortunately the real drama of the surfing experience is very difficult to capture on camera. Given the advances in effects I had expected some interesting close ups - but it was mostly fuzzy shots taken from the beach, of blokes in shorts riding up & down waves of indeterminate size.
