"Between the beach and the boardwalk, all hell is about to break loose"
Southern California, late eighties. The final and most anticipated weekend of summer is about to begin - a weekend full of beach parties, romance and most importantly, the big surf contest. But for Allie Yorpin (Danielle von Zerneck), the contest is the last thing on her mind. Her brother Reef - leader of a gang known as the Lowks - couldn't have a more different opinion. He lives to surf, and being crowned as king of the beach is his number one priority.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the valley, potential champion surfer Nick Rainwood (Richard Joseph Paul) has a tough choice to make. Should he focus on a stable future, forget about riding waves, and head to college?
The ceremonial pre-contest beach party is in full swing and Allie has been made to look after her eighteen-year-old country cousin Andy (Keith Coogan). It is while at the party that Nick and Allie's eyes meet through the crowd, and it's love at first sight. As they share a dance, Nick's Val buddies instantly smell trouble. The situation only worsens when a furious Reef discovers his sister - a Lowk - with a guy from a rival gang, sparking a feud between the teens. The cops are soon on the scene and are forced to break up what by this point has become a pretty nasty brawl; tearing star-crossed lovers Nick and Allie apart and sending naive Andy downtown to spend the night in a cell.
Knowing Nick will be competing, Allie heads for the first round of the contest the next morning, despite having been warned by her brother to steer clear of any Vals. Across town in jail, Andy happens upon "half girl, half bitch" Gitch (Roxana Zal) and the pair strike up a friendship. It comes to light that Gitch is also an avid surfer and another contest hopeful - that is if she can get herself out from behind bars in time to enter! That isn't the last of the problems, though, as once the pair successfully talk themselves out of jail, Gitch faces the burden of challenging the contest organizers on their "no girls allowed" rule - a task that she handles in a typically feisty fashion.
Round one is over and Nick and Allie intend to make the most of the next 48 hours, with Nick leaving for Stanford by summer's end. They spend the day sharing their dreams of visiting foreign countries and, for Allie, her aspirations of becoming an artist and moving away to Paris. High spirits are too good to last, however, and when the second round of the competition begins, bad boy Reef tries his best to ruin the Val's chances. His plans unfold with perfection as Nick's pal is knocked from his board, breaking his arm and forcing a full-fledged war between the Lowks and Vals. It is declared that the gangs fight for supremacy in the parking lot behind a big party taking place later that night, and each is determined to come out on top.
Allie is asked to test her loyalty when at the party she is told to take sides in the impending fight. Sickened, she rushes to the scene to find Nick throwing punches at her brother and runs away horrified. It's going to take a lot for Nick to be able to win back her heart - the finale of the contest giving Allie a chance to unleash her feelings; "I thought you were different than some of the jerks around here. I thought you were smarter, but you're not! You're from the other side of the hill, but you're just the same. There's nothing wrong with surfing - it's the constant fighting between you and Reef that makes no sense! Surf all your life.. just don't be a surfer all your life". Will the contest and honour of their respective gangs come between them?
VERDICT: ★★★ ½
Under the Boardwalk milks the teen culture of late eighties SoCal for all it's worth, brah. The first thing worth a mention is the dialogue - the fabulously cringeworthy lingo that should have been subtitled for the masses. A prime example of this is an incredible scene in which Keith Coogan's character - a kid from way out in the sticks whose only pass time is cow tipping - asks his cousin to translate her brother's indistinguishable surf-speak, questioning what it means to be "fully amped" (really excited, if anyone wishes to know). Another excellent moment is when we are introduced to various groups of surfers who inhabit the sands, including the guitar-playing surfers for Christ, ferocious surf punks and a philosophical Sonny Bono rambling about psychedelic vibrations with surf icon Corky Caroll.
Essentially, Under the Boardwalk is Thrashin' dressed up as a beach flick, swapping skateboards for surfboards. It does a great job of summing up an era packed with beach movies, but unlike many doesn't resort to goofy humour and gratuitous tits and ass. With its drama-fuelled forbidden romance, summery atmosphere, gang rivalry (with wonderfully cheesy camera close-ups of clenched fists) and heavily stereotyped surf dudes, Under the Boardwalk is an especially entertaining journey into the lives of Californian teenagers.
IMAGES/VIDEOS: [movie trailer]
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SOUNDTRACK:
1. Under The Boardwalk - The Untouchables
2. Ballroom Blitz - The Surf Punks
3. Surf Or Die - The Surf MC's
4. Whole Lot Of Nothin' - The Del Lords
5. Bad Time - Ike Willis
6. Blood & Roses - The Smithereens
7. Dangerous World - The Broadcasters
8. Our Day Will Come - The Surf Punks
9. Why - Wednesday Week
10. Under The Boardwalk - The Drifters
