"Dogtown and Z-Boys," Stacy Peralta's 2001 Sundance Film Festival favorite documentary, remains the definitive movie about the rise of skateboarding in the mid-'70s, as well as the Venice Beach culture that gave birth to it.
As for "Lords of Dogtown," a new fictionalized feature version of Peralta's documentary, it's gone through Hollywood "creative processing" at least one time too many.
The story here has been turned into a conventional cautionary tale, which is disappointing, considering that Peralta was so involved in its production. Perhaps it hasn't been completely Hollywood-ized, but "Lords" has certainly been "sanitized for your protection," as most of the edginess and grittiness have been removed.
The real topper here is Heath Ledger's cartoonish portrayal of one of the documentary's pivotal figures, Derrick "Skip" Engblom, complete with buck teeth appliances and a demeanor that was apparently inspired from some of Val Kilmer's more out-there performances.
"Lords of Dogtown" attempts to show how surf-shop owner Engblom encouraged and inspired three young skaters — Jay Adams (Emile Hirsch), Tony Alva (Victor Rasuk) and Peralta (John Robinson). Competing on Engblom's Zephyr Racing Team, these three "Z-Boys" had a rock 'n' roll swagger and the skills to dominate competitions throughout the decade. However, as their fame grew, the three also signed on with corporate sponsors and began succumbing to the inevitable temptations.
Director Catherine Hardwicke ("Thirteen"), who replaced David Fincher on the project, clearly has no real feel for this material. And yet, it's hard to single her out for blame when Peralta's script is filled with such awful dialogue and some ill-considered attempts at humor. (It also depicts the young Peralta character as a Boy Scout, which seems at least a little disingenuous.)
Fortunately, the cast tries to compensate for that — as well as for Ledger's unfortunate performance. In particular, Hirsch ("The Girl Next Door") has the mannerisms of Adams down and brings an intensity that the film otherwise desperately lacks. But the real star is cinematographer Elliot Davis, whose point-of-view shots capture some of the thrills of skateboarding.
"Lords of Dogtown" is rated PG-13 for athletically based violence and reckless behavior (as well as some fisticuffs), occasional use of strong profanity, drug content (marijuana use), use of crude slang terms and some vulgar humor, some brief sexual contact, glimpses of nude artwork, and use of some racial epithets. Running time: 105 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com
Subscribe
Mobile
RSS
DeseretNews.com encourages a civil dialogue among its readers. We welcome your thoughtful comments.
— About comments