'In God's Hands' follows three surfers in search of the biggest - and most dangerous - waves. They travel from Madagascar to Bali to Hawaii and Mexico. In God's Hands refers to just how dangerous surfing these waves are.
The film's highlight by far, is the photography and bringing spectacular waves to the screen. Apart from that, this really wasn't that great a movie. My first issue was the narration. This film is confusing. Not confusing because of a complicated plot. On the contrary, it has a very simple premise, but the unclear narration makes it difficult to follow. There were times when myself and my partner were looking at each other thinking 'what the hell is going on'. I blame the director, and the editor. At times it felt more like a documentary.
My second issue was the characters. I didn't really root for any of them. The film's main protagonist Shane (Shane Dorian - who looks like Chris Evans!) was such a soft-spoken, placid character that I wasn't sure what to make of him. Mickey (Matt George) was a bit arrogant at times, yet there were also moments when he was charming. I also didn't really know what to make of him. He does have a great body, though! And then there's Keoni (Matty Liu), referred to as The Kid. This character was a bit irritating and didn't contribute to the film in any way. Had he not been there, he wouldn't even have been missed. All the characters were one-dimensional. None of them are well set-up or explored.
'In God's Hands' is aimed primarily at surfers. It won't be as appealing to the general audience, who might end up finding the film boring, with a sense of deja vu. If you're into surfing movies, 'Chasing Mavericks' is a far better option. It has a better premise, with fleshed out characters, and better photography.
Would I watch it again? I've seen it twice now, and that's enough. No more.
The film's highlight by far, is the photography and bringing spectacular waves to the screen. Apart from that, this really wasn't that great a movie. My first issue was the narration. This film is confusing. Not confusing because of a complicated plot. On the contrary, it has a very simple premise, but the unclear narration makes it difficult to follow. There were times when myself and my partner were looking at each other thinking 'what the hell is going on'. I blame the director, and the editor. At times it felt more like a documentary.
My second issue was the characters. I didn't really root for any of them. The film's main protagonist Shane (Shane Dorian - who looks like Chris Evans!) was such a soft-spoken, placid character that I wasn't sure what to make of him. Mickey (Matt George) was a bit arrogant at times, yet there were also moments when he was charming. I also didn't really know what to make of him. He does have a great body, though! And then there's Keoni (Matty Liu), referred to as The Kid. This character was a bit irritating and didn't contribute to the film in any way. Had he not been there, he wouldn't even have been missed. All the characters were one-dimensional. None of them are well set-up or explored.
'In God's Hands' is aimed primarily at surfers. It won't be as appealing to the general audience, who might end up finding the film boring, with a sense of deja vu. If you're into surfing movies, 'Chasing Mavericks' is a far better option. It has a better premise, with fleshed out characters, and better photography.
Would I watch it again? I've seen it twice now, and that's enough. No more.