I gave it a 7.5 out of 10

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

James Remar is a former professional surfer who now parties hard by day & by night works with his crew as a drug runner, smuggling cocaine for a dangerous drug lord named Calavera. Remar's burning-the-candle-at-both-ends lifestyle is putting a wedge between him & his pregnant girlfriend Rebecca, but this pales in comparison to the large drug deal that Remar is working on. When one of his friends is arrested & becomes an informant for the police, Calavera decides to terminate the gang with extreme prejudice.Before he became a superstar in the 1990s, George Clooney was working in cheap thrillers like Red Surf. This film also had onboard Gene Simmons as the crew's resident security 'consultant' & small-time actor & future Albert Pyun associate Vincent Klyn as a heavy.Red Surf is an unexceptional film to put it bluntly. It has a concept that is decidedly average & has become a sort of plot cliché for the majority of the 1990s & beyond. The action scenes are the film's highlight but lack a certain excitement element that makes such scenes pale in comparison to the stuff other action cheapies managed to make out of. The two action scenes that do appear in the film – a chase on the water between Clooney's crew's jet skis & a thug on a speedboat & the climactic shootout that has some glaring goofs on display (one character's weapon changes twice within seconds & another's weapon appears without a magazine yet still fires) – are lacking in entertainment value.Having said that, George Clooney rules the show with his trademark intensity & unpredictable manner that he would perfect by the time of FROM DUSK TILL DAWN. It's a shame that he is killed off before the end of the film. Gene Simmons kicks butt with style & Rick Najera makes a decidedly dangerous drug lord.

If you're out for criminals and surfer with great surfing scenes, then this is the wrong movie for you. Then better watch Point Break, which was actually made a year later and had a much more modern and tougher look. With "Red Surf", I thought, oh well, give it a try: George Clooney in one of his very early roles, but some of his mannerisms can already be seen, (and the DVD cover is deceiving by picturing today's George) plus his acting abilities especially in carrying a film, too. He even looks gorgeous in shabby jeans and a leather jacket. I liked some of the photography, the music score was quite good as well. The story hang a bit in the air, a bit lose, so to speak. Some unnecessary violence. The whole film seemed a bit undecided, too many bits of different genres: a typical 80s movie with party, drugs and rock'n roll, but not tough enough, and a bit of "adulthood" thrown in. Also worth mentioning is Desperate Housewives' Doug Savant, who brings to his role some depth. And, quite cool, Gene Simmons who adds a little class to this movie.

I remember the day I first stumbled upon Red Surf in a pawn shop bargain bin. It looked like a modern day George Clooney film so I decided to give it a shot but surprisingly, it turned out to be some of his very early work. To me, this was a very pleasant surprise indeed. Red Surf has a very cool 70's drive-in movie feel to it and this can be a refreshing change of pace from the mainstream. Okay, Lets get down to the content of this film..........George Clooney and his friends are jet ski drug runners for a kingpin (Gene Simmons no doubt). DeDe Phifer plays his girlfriend and wants him to settle down in order to have a family. The party scenes are hardcore and the rival gang violence is over the top as well so if that kind of stuff turns you off then you may want to head for the Disney section instead. The plot moves at a moderate pace and the acting is well above par for this type of film. I like it mainly because it has a very realistic feel to it and reminds me a lot of the late 70's/early 80's (if you like nostalgia...... this film is oozing with it). Availability is good and its not very expensive so pick up a copy next time you see one and come back to post your thoughts. Its my favorite Clooney film and definitely a mainstay in my collection because the story holds up well for repeat viewings. Clay

Holy crap Batman! What are these other comments all about? This is quite possibly one of the worst films ever made. I'm not kidding. If you compare this film to Moontrap, you;ll find both are horrifically inept, but at least Moontrap has (unintentional) comedy to stand it apart. This film has absolutely nothing (spare George Clooney in an early role) to recommend it. Everything about it is apalling. The script - dire. The direction - fabulously inept. The editing- woeful. Everything is truly, truly bad. I'm not just speaking from the position of some uninformed punter either. I'm a film director, producer and editor myself, so I at least have some idea of what makes a competent film. (For reference, bandwagon as it may seem, see the Matrix as THE example of excellent action film-making) So to sum-up. Recently I saw Russian Ark at the cinema. A technical tour de force, to be sure, but one of the least entertaining pieces of cinema I've ever seen. I wanted to sever my own head half way through. But at least it had some merit. It was a huge technical achievement. Red Surf is equally head-severingly dull, but it has NOTHING to recommend it ( I take back George's early appearance- he has nothing to work with). This film will make you want to rip your own eyeballs out rather than sit through it. You have been warned. Good luck.