Carl W. Lucas‘s script is never quite as smart or profound as it thinks it is, but it does manage to tap into an inherent sweetness – an underlying sense of humanity and acceptance that counter-balances all the chaos and occasional bursts of violence.

This fever dream feels more derivative than distinctive, entertaining and eventful as it is. Still, it’s a well-cast, well-crafted stab at something offbeat.

The Wave is more interested in supplying a good time and that should be enough for some.

The artistry at work in The Wave isn’t enough to keep the film from caving in under its middling story.

While Long gives it his trademark amiable best and Klabin and longtime collaborator Patrick Lawler cook up a heady cocktail of lively though budget-conscious visual effects, at the end of the day the Carl W. Lucas script feels more like a concept pitch than a fully-plotted proposition.