I knew about Surf Nazis Must Die even before I got into Troma. You see, being from a small town in West Virginia and having a strong interest in filmmaking leads you to wonder if your town has ever spawned any filmmakers. Well, I found out about a filmmaker who hailed from my town named Robert Tinnell. Most of his work were family films, but one title that stood out among them all was Surf Nazis Must Die, which he produced.
The story takes place in the near future, where a major earthquake has left most of the coastline in ruin. There were few survivors and those that did survive find themselves at mercy of ruthless beach gangs. The baddest of these beach gangs are the Surf Nazis. Lead by an appropriately named leader, Adolf, the Surf Nazis have taken over the beach. When an African American man named Leroy stops a young Surf Nazi from stealing an old lady's purse, he is killed. But what they didn't count on was that Leroy's mother, Eleanor Washington(played to perfection by Gail Neely), is ready to take revenge on the Surf Nazis and make the beaches a safe place again.
Honestly, Surf Nazis Must Die didn't quite live up to my expectations. I was expecting a wacky b-movie, but the film is much more of a serious action film. However, it isn't a bad film at all. It lags here and there, and unfortunately, focuses more on the Surf Nazis than the film's real protagonist, Leroy's mother. That's actually part of the reason for the lag in the film: the Surf Nazis really aren't that interesting of characters. Gail Neely is quite good as Mama Washington, which is why it's so unfortunate she doesn't have much screen time. However, once she begins to take her revenge on the Surf Nazis, the film's most awesome action begins.
Another nice addition to the film is the surfing cinematography. Shot by a famous surf filmmaker, the footage gets you right into the tunnel with the surfers. The acting is mostly mediocre, but as with most Troma releases, it isn't that important.
Overall, Surf Nazis Must Die is an entertaining action film, with a few flaws that really don't effect the film too much. Though not your standard Troma fair, Surf Nazis Must Die is still recommended.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Rating Scale: