This movie sucked. There was hardly any surfing footage. I've seen more surfing footage in Hawaii five O . They totally try to ignore the fact that Laird Hamilton invented surfing. They try and say it was Ken Bradshaw that invented tow in surfing. Then they have some fruity poser looking guy trying to tell us that he invented the hydrofoil surfboard. We all know it was Laird. This movie just plain sucks. Way too much talking. If your going to talk through the whole movie at least show surfing footage while you do it. We don't need to see the director and his bad hair. And we really don't need a science lesson on how waves are formed. The only thing I care about is how big the wave is and the shape. Only good thing about the DVD is the opening sequence and some narly wipeouts. Do yourself a favor and save your money. Buy step into liquid or one of Lairds's DVD's. I felt like I was watching a behind the surfing documentary on VH1 or something. Oy yeah I feel bad for the surfers who appeared in this movie. Your talents deserve a better showcase. Just one more thing. The Mavericks Crew rules. You guys are awesome. If it wasn't for them this DVD would get one star.

This is a really solid film that gives you a great inside view of just how serious the conditions are that these guys are taking on and shows all the work that goes into riding these monster waves. Definitely a great addition to any surfer's collection.

One of the true pleasures in life is living an otherwise death-defying adventure vicariously. Whether it be arm-chair reading the adventure of climbing Chomolungma (Mt. Everest) as in "Into Thin Air" by Krakauer; an otherworldy dive in the Cousteau series; thrilling to the "Man-Eaters of Tsavo" by Patterson or any number of heart-stopping, life-on-the-edge, written experiences.

Another medium by which the common man/woman can be thrilled is within documentary film. When shot and edited with care and precision, there is probably no other medium taking spectators closer to the heart of an experience.

The stunning "Billabong Odyssey" is such a documentary. This truly remarkable film stands as a testament to human courage, prime athletic skill, unbelievable human strength, mental focus and determination, as it showcases one of the greatest physical challenges of our time... that of finding the biggest waves around the world, and riding them.

Spectacular, numbingly magnificent cinematography; epic daring by the athletes, and the high-tech science of scouting these oceanic monsters make this one of the best sports (and extreme human challenge) documentaries ever made.

On a rating scale for surfers and surfing enthusists, it is off the chart awesome. For pretty much anyone else enamored of the grandeur and power of the natural world, and how men and women challenge and practice within it, it is almost without equal.

'Nuff said? Yeah... maybe so, but beyond any hyperbole you might read into my honest words above, it is unqualifiedly a marvelous "real-world" documentary and ultimately, a supremely human film.

("Let's go tow-in now, everybody's learning how, come on let's safari with me!")

Worth the price of the DVD for the opening sequence alone - it is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen on film.
A significant weakness of the film: for those of us who have minimal access to surf and can only surmount 3-4 foot waves, it is impossible to conceptualize the moving mountains that these surfers conquer. Perhaps it is beyond the scope of any camera to capture what it must feel like to float atop, as one of the mavericks guys says "an avalanche moving 40 mph". Beyond the incredible footage, this sports documentary actually has something of a plot - it charts the journey of a team of surfers searching the world for the largest waves, and the development of camaraderie in an otherwise fiercely individual sport.

This came out in theatres last year and the opening sequence, with Mike Parsons riding a 70-foot wall of water, was possibly the most exciting beginning to any film I have ever seen. The film chronicles the ongoing search to find and ride the world's biggest wave by eight hardcore surfers of tremendous courage and discipline. Their expedition takes them from Oregon to Australia, from Tahiti to Hawaii to Mexico, and Europe in between. I found the personal insights revealing-if you've ever wondered why men and women engage in such death-defying activities, you'll be surprised where some find their motivaton-and of course the action is spectacular. The best surf movie, and one of the best action movies I've ever seen. Beatutifully shot. I'd praise the stuntwork to the moon if it wasn't all completely real. To this point I've always used Top Gun or The Matrix to show off the scale of my home theatre and its surround sound. Now I'll simply play this movie. Incredible!