The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

I must admit (somewhat grudgingly) that 'Aquatic Wizards (1955)' does feature some pretty decent water-skiing moves – this coming from somebody whose fastest water-borne adventure took place in a canoe. However, one must question the wisdom of towing 6-year-olds into the centre of a large body of water, without life jackets, and leaving them at the whim of Poseidon. The moral of this eight-minute educational short is that water-skiing is within the reach of the common man, or woman, or child, regardless of age, sex, or taste in bathing suits. There are a few spectacular stacks, slow-motion tricks, and attractive women. What's to hate? Perhaps the film does lose some of its "molentum" by the end of its running-time, and there's not nearly enough shots of innocent little children face-planting themselves into the lake... but we take solace in the knowledge that most of those children probably couldn't swim. That's the beauty of the 1950s.

Aquatic wizards is now available, although in MST3K format on their "Shorts" vol. 3. Well, to summarize, this short is just plain BORING!! They try to show us the excitement of water skiing in Cypress Gardens, Florida, but it just turns into a slow, excruciating watch.Avoid this unless you're watching the MST3K version.

forget the life jackets and the fact that the depth is only three feet, this is the fifties! water skiing acrobatics, no wonder these people are all dead now. I really have no idea. where you would ever see this movie, but trust me as a person who has water skied before this is not how you do unless you want to be killed. pulling 12 kids behind a boat with no life jackets is frankly just stupid. however, I would like to know where they got their ostrich suits