"The Mystic" is an echo from the early days of surf films when surfers weren't the stars. Crowds packed theaters to see great waves and exotic locales, and the soundtrack accented the experience rather than define and overpower it.
Most surf movies in the modern era are celebrity vehicles that market personalities and bend perception. They use angst-ridden music and quick editing to adrenalize the action. These films are great for a quick amp before a session and a great glimpse into the peformance level of the moment, but they become obsolete once the next Johnny-come-lately arrives.
The trek continues with Kelly Slater towing into ledgy reef-scultured lefthanders with surgical precision. We are then treated to Aussie pointbreaks being brutalized by Mick Fanning and Dean Morrison and secret treasure troves of icy blue barrels deep in Chile chock full of swirling tubes.Then on to perfect, rippable walls unfolding amongst images of European landscape and architecture.
For me, however, the true mysticism begins when the lens is fixed on the warm waters of the South Pacific and Indonesia where lucky souls like Kalani Chapman and Braden Dias score some of the sickest barrels I've seen in years. This isn't some cliche' I'm claiming here. The tubes in the closing minutes of this film will have you laughing in disbelief.
In addition to some great extras which includes red-hot footage of Andy Irons, "The Mystic" comes with a music CD from Ubiquity Records.
The bottom line is that you can't go wrong with this film if you like beautiful scenery, deep tubes, and perfect waves ridden by hot surfers. This is one flick in your collection that won't go stale. In fact, I think I may go watch it again right now.
