Synopsis:
Geiranger is one the most spectacular tourist draws on the planet, but also a place where disaster could strike at any moment. After putting in several years at Geiranger’s warning center, geologist Kristian Elkjord is moving on to a prestigious new job with an oil company. On the very day he’s about to drive his family to their new life in the city he senses something is wrong, the substrata are shifting. When a landslide from the mountain sends tons of rock and earth crashing into the water, every soul in Geiranger has ten minutes to outrace the resulting tsunami and get to higher ground.
What We Thought:
The Wave is a solid natural disaster thriller not bogged down by CGI. It’s a foreign film so don’t expect over the top nonsense like a San Andreas.
I think that’s why it works. It feels authentic and realistic because it’s based on actual events in Norway. There’s no CGI till the wave actually comes and it takes about an hour or longer for that to happen.
That’s also why it works, there’s good build up. Sure our attention spans are really short today, but if you can sit and wait an hour for the disaster, the tension builds well. No one wants to believe Kristian especially now that he no longer works there. He knows something is wrong and turns around to see if he’s right.
Once the wave comes, it’s your typical disaster film. The wave looks fake, but you expect that. Kristian and his daughter get separated from his wife and son. He tries to get everyone to higher ground while his wife and son get trapped in the hotel she works at. Of course he’s the hero who has to save the day, but you expect that as well.
The Blu-ray looks amazing. The cinematography and backdrops are beautiful. The mountains and water look stunning in HD. Audio is top notch with easy to hear dialogue and musical score. Plus it has some decent bonus features.
If your attention span isn’t total garbage, you’ll like The Wave. It has good tension and looks beautiful. It takes a while to reach the disaster, but I liked that build up. The acting is good. The direction and pacing are good as well. Because of all that, it is…
RECOMMENDED!
Bonus Features:
- Behind the Scenes of The Wave
- The Wave Visual Effects Featurettes
- Interview With Director Ruar Uthaug
- Theatrical Trailer
Cast & Crew:
- Thomas Larsen
- Kristoffer Joner
- Fridtjov Saheim
- Arthur Berning
- Ane Torp
- Edith Haagenrud-Sande
- Eili Harboe
Recommended If You Like:
- San Andreas
- Dante’s Peak
- Disaster Films
The Nerds Templar 