![](https://play-lh.googleusercontent.com/a-/ALV-UjU0VngZ8oT75Xc4NmHvvMdbxpqwqxF-Hy0CaOcciKug9F-IZbc=s32)
Kyle Vansteelandt
WARNING: Spoiler filled review, because this movie is not recommended! It is a biographic family film about faith and being a good sport, but in general, I find this movie that was based on actual events a mad outrage and I wasn't entertained by it. Okay, Let's start with the positive: It is amazing that Sean McNamara (director/writer/co-producer) and his company knows how to make a realistic effect that made me speechless, like how to make AnnaSophia Robb armless. The camerawork is very well-shot and it's also unexplainable how John R. Leonetti (cinematographer) gets these shots of AnnaSophia surfing close-up and under the wave. The composer Macro Beltrami knows how to score a serious movie; starting with watching the full footage of the movie, analyzing the emotion/mood of the film, and knowing the information about the film. Macro not only reflects the movie's emotions, he also strongly compliments the screenplay. Bethany Hamilton (played by AnnaSophia Robb) is such a confident, faithful, and relentless positive role model, she really enjoys surfing, she is a good sport by giving praise to people who surfed, she also taught someone how to surf and give them courage. As a biographical drama (based on actual events), it's an outrage; because if the fact that this film involves a shark attack, people will be motivated to have a fear and hatred of sharks of course. Luckily enough, the shark was in fact a tiger shark (14 feet long), not an overrated great white. But there isn't any information why the tiger shark attacked Bethany. And of course, the shark was dead, and it's not the shark's fault, we are the ones that are responsible for going into their territory. And there is an actual plot twist to this true story: They said that the wave that Bethany surfed does not count so she earned "no score", and the winner was Malina. I was so upset. The reason why Bethany earned no points because the wave does not count. Was there any information why the wave doesn't count? No! There is no information about that either, This actual fact in the end is just utterly preposterous and this overwhelmed me in a negative way (I was stressed out and very confused). Bethany did win! She is the winner! She was in first place! But hey, at least surfing is her passion and she loves it, but she is way too optimistic. Who in God's name invented these so called "surfing contests," or just all the contests in general? Going to a surfing contest just for surfing does not seem right; that is a redundant mismatch. Contests are about winning, and (for example) they are about judging the surfers to see who is the best surfer and gets the trophy, That is not right either! Next time, if she thinks about surfing, don't do it for the contests, do it for fun, and contests are not about having fun. This is all just furiously preposterous. In the end: It is such an outrageous disappointment for the that fact that a biographic drama about faith and being a good sport is ridiculously muddled and heavy-handed throughout it's subtext. Not Recommended.
![](https://play-lh.googleusercontent.com/a/ACg8ocJgyDMOrnbokFkk1dPMqnfIeY9A9HAMhDCeBXIyVZXfKVECmw=s32-mo)
John Wabali
Good story about real life person, Bethany Hamilton. Good movie about someone going through a tragic event in their life, and using faith in God to go through that time.