Red Surf (1989) User Reviews

Clooney was just getting started...

[DigitalRevenantX7 · 4/10 · 2 December 2015]

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.

Not as bad as I would have expected

[mickya · 4/10 · 11 March 2006]

These comments contain a spoiler, so stop here if you don't want to know.....

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Now I knew going in that this was a low budget,early performance by George Clooney and Desperate Housewives' Doug Savant, but I was curious, so purchased the DVD for a buck.

Some of the reviews here state this is an awful film, one of the worst ever made. I'm not going to go that far as it did hold my attention, even though I got eyestrain by the time it ended. This film looked like a rejected Miami Vice episode minus the cops. Low level drug dealers Clooney and Savant look for one last big deal before they get out of the business. The shady business partners they are involved with, however, have reasons to kill them.

A apparent key scene, which is not at the end of the movie, was shot at night on the water. Clooney and Savant are double-crossed by the shady partners while on a drug run. Our guys are on jet-skis while a baddie is on a boat trying to shot them. The scene is very dark and it was hard to decipher exactly what was going on. The baddie's boat hit something and exploded. Then, we learned Clooney somehow died in this incident, but for the life of me, I have no idea how. It was too dark to make anything out. If anyone else can figure out this scene, please let me know.

Clooney seems to overact. Shouting profanity after profanity gets old after awhile. Savant's performance isn't too bad, but the real star of this film, in a smaller role, is KISS's Gene Simmons. Simmons shows off some tough, macho acting. His acting credits have been sparse in the last 16 years since Red Surf was made, which is too bad. He really could've done something decent in action flicks.

Watchable Drug Flick

[xxbadboyxx021 · 26 May 2002]

Two young punks (George Clonney and Doug Savant) get more than they baragained for in a drug deal with big money drugs lords. While Clonney's girlfriend( Dedee Pfeiffer) is pregnant and he must make a very big decision whether or not to continue his drug selling habits. As he and Savannt swear this to be their last drug deal it could also be the last of them. Good performance's by all cast members make this watchable enough and is worth seeing espically seeing George in one of his earlier roles and a small part by Kiss singer gene Simmons. ** out of ****

Truly, really, abysmally awful

[Gez_Medinger · 1/10 · 24 July 2003]

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.

Crack smokin Clooney!

[Bezenby · 7/10 · 4 June 2013]

This was the 'b' side of some other film I bought, so it sat around my collection for a bit. It's actually quite good! Clooney's a surfer who sets up coke deals with the local drug baron, picking up the merchandise on his jet ski. Him and all his mates get wasted every night on booze, coke, crack, and anything else they can get their hands on. His girlfriend however is about to change all that when she reveals she's pregnant. Will Clooney clean up his act or will he go all out for one last score?

Clooney's great in this one, portraying a guy who doesn't quite want to face up to reality. He sure cusses some too! The supporting cast are quite good (including Gene Simmons!) and the film gets surprisingly violent at times. Good stuff!

Red Surf

[clayzar · 8/10 · 29 July 2006]

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

Worth checking out for an early George Clooney role, but not worth checking out twice!

[the amorphousmachine · 6/10 · 28 January 2007]

SPOILER

A long time ago: when I was really into independent low-budget films and had no idea who George Clooney was, I watched 'Red Surf' and remember liking it A LOT! I bought it two years ago really cheaply on DVD, and was surprised that George Clooney was the actual star of this film I remembered seeing as a teen. When I originally saw it on video, George Clooney wasn't famous, so I paid no attention to the actors in the film, but I remember distinctly liking this low-budget film with jet-skis and drug deals gone wrong. That's why I bought it!

Now, I have no idea why I bought it! Maybe when I originally watched it, I thought the low-budget story of friendship spliced with action somehow resonated well with me. The second time round, it wasn't as great as I remembered it, but I'm finding that in many circumstances these days. I do think that certain films work at certain ages, and for some reason, I fondly remembered this in my youth.

Not that it is completely terrible or anything. It's just not worth owning. It's a decent low-budget action film, with an urban late 80s/early 90s feel to it. However, the film lacks focus and a good script, and some parts are really quite corny. The main duo (George Clooney and Doug Savant) decide to save a friend who sold them out, and only one of them seems to have common sense. Some of the acting is a bit ordinary too, even from Mr Clooney, but he still manages to transcend that leadership quality that he has with most of his characters in this movie as the alcohol-fuelled would-be parent and failed surfer in Mark Remar. Regardless of the overall plot, this is still pretty entertaining, particularly with the final shoot-out scene.

Worth checking out for old-school George Clooney, and for Gene Simmons as Doc (which I didn't realise both times round), but don't expect to be anything other than a low-budget B-grade action film with slightly embarrassing early 90s hairstyles and a bad guy with a mullet. So my memory of this film was a lot better than the reality!

*** out of *****!

H. Gordon Boos... Hangin' Ten!

[stevenironside · 10 November 2002]

This picture was released straight to video/cable...I can not, for the life of me figure out why! Many may describe this as a guilty pleasure, but I would not. Boos' direction flows in this tale of suspense and intrigue. Shot purposely on what seems to be video, the film can be described as a surfers dream gone pipeline wipe-out nightmare. Is it a heist gone to blunder? I think not! Its a soul searching revenge piece with a twist of Hitchcockian suspense!

Clooney gives one of his most memorable performances...Doug Savant proves he is better than his Melrose Place performances would show...DeeDee Pfeifer is wonderful as usual...Phillip McKeon shows he will be something special.

Look for Gene Simmons in a key role.

*** out of ****

Only for hard core Georgie fans

[beisserchen · 25 July 2008]

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.