Airborne

After having some moderate success on a low budget kids soap opera, "Swan's Crossing," (which has developed a cult following thanks to the participation of actress Sarah Michelle Gellar), actor Shane McDermott starred in this minor, but intensely watchable sports-themed movie, mostly involving in-line skating, but also some hockey and skateboarding and surfing as well. "Airborne is a very 'physical' movie, that required the actors and countless extras to perform their own reckless stunts on camera. The action set piece, which makes up for the entire last third of the film, is really an exciting adrenaline rush. The camera work is quite amazing, putting the viewer right inside the high speed race down "The Devil's Backbone," a dangerously curvy downhill road that the skaters must share with car traffic, as they try and shove each other off the road and into rocks. I was especially impressed to see McDermott doing all his own stunt work. That is clearly not a double, and he is a very skilled skater. But this movie has more going for it than action. The photography is gorgeous with it's exotic angles and selection of a super bright color scheme that makes every scene look like it was filmed through stained glass windows. Even Cincinnati looks beautiful! Those surfing scenes look amazing in their blue splendor, especially on the big screen. Big names like Seth Green and Jack Black got their starts here. Seth is quite unforgettable as Wiley. We even get some romance that is very sweet, and some of the comedy is downright brilliant. Add in the music of Stewart Copeland and you have a 90's classic. I hadn't seen this since the 90's and re-watched it recently, worried that it might not be as good as I remembered. You know what? It's better, and it's proof that movies they are making today are just not as good as what they were producing back then. It's like movies had a soul, and a kind of innocence, that is blatantly absent from movies being churned out today. As family entertainment, I cannot recommend "Airborne" highly enough.

This movie made me grow my hair out and start parting it in the middle because of our roller-bladin' hero. Going back to rewatch the soundtrack instantly transported back through time to all the 90s angst and feels that I had as a kid. Eventhough I was terrible on rollerblades the movie made me believe I could fly on them, and that I could probably handle the Devil's backbone. It's also amazing to go back and see the early stages of Jack Black and Seth Green's careers. The story itself is a slightly more serious 90s teen movie, because roller blading and social/street cred is serious business. I'm not sure it ages well for younger generations to have the same experience as 90s kids, but the movie is like a fun time capsule to go back and revisit.

If you don't go into this movie with overly high expectations, but just go with the flow, this movie can be very enjoyable. So it isn't Academy Awards material. How many movies are? Anyway, for a teen high-school love story, this isn't bad. I enjoyed the skating, even though I have been to Pittsburgh enough times to recognize most of the streets, and certainly the skyline. I am more bugged by the movies made in Canada that try to pass themselves as U.S. locations (that tax credit must be a real biggie!)

If you like fish-out-of-water movies or H.S. love interests, give Airborne a look.

I hope Mitchell eventually made his way here to O'ahu and surfed our waves! Now there is Airborne! (especially the latest thing, Kite surfing!)

Laters brah

Some of the best stunt/acting work I have ever seen. That inline skate race through a busy, incredibly fast downhill street course will stick with me forever. A lot of fun to watch.

Also very early film for Seth Green and Jack Black.

This movie is hilariously funny. Shane McDermott's monologues, meant to be serious at the time (When you see that perfect wave.. .) have aged into top notch hilarity, and Seth Green's scenes are pure gold, showing the then-young actor at his comedic best, year before Austin Powers. Throw in a then-unknown Jack Black and a bunch of funny little high school types, and then Edie McClurg on top of it all, and you have one of those perfect 1980s-early 90s films, with the perfection and classicness of which that can't seem to be replicated today. This is truely one of the littlest known, but funniest movies of all time. Those who fancy themselves amateur critics would call it a period piece, a comment on the culture clash that can exist within our own country, and a farce on rollerblades. I say the only disappointment in watching it is the realization that more modern movies are nothing like it.