Watching a surf movie near the end of the summer can be pretty depressing, especially if you live in Illinois. Walking out of the theater having been subjected to the estrogen-fueled “Blue Crush” (Universal, PG-13) has caused me to view the cornfields that make up the landscape of the town I call home with a new emotion behind it-relief.

Why am I relieved you ask? Well, if we lived in a state such as California, the release of such a belly flop of mammoth proportions such as this one would result in the halls of every high school, university and shopping mall to be flooded with catch phrases such as “radical,” “hang ten,” and the worst of all, “dude,” and that simply would be too much to bear.

Directed by John Stockwell, “Blue Crush” revolves around the story of hopeful Hawaiian surfer girl Anne Marie, who works as a hotel maid while training to compete in the Rip Masters surf competition.

Played by former “Young Americans” TV star Kate Bosworth, Anne Marie quickly finds herself torn between her competitive spirit, her friends (one of whom is played by Michelle Rodriguez from the film “Resident Evil”) and a newfound love. With all these heavy issues weighing upon her shoulders, how will bleached blonde Anne Marie ever come to make the decision that inevitably will lead to a happy ending?

Answer: in the lamest way imaginable.

There are a few redeeming aspects of “Blue Crush” that may allow it the title of a good video rental. A few of the scenes in which Anne Marie and her friends clean filthy hotel rooms offer a hoot here and there, and having been filmed in Oahu, Hawaii, couldn’t hurt matters much. But other than shots of crashing waves and dusky views of surfers holding surfboards under their arms while gazing out at the horizon, “Blue Crush” is one step above a really impressive screensaver.

Surf movies that are better than this one (all based on comedic value of course) :

1) Back to the Beach

2) Beach Blanket Bingo

3) Blue Hawaii

4) Point Break