Lords of Dogtown

I am not a fan of surfing or skateboarding (although learning to surf is on my bucket list), but I decided to watch this film due to some of the names on the cast list such as Emile Hirsch, Heath Ledger, and a small appearance by Jeremy Renner. (Heath Ledger... what talent!)

The film begins as a surfing movie, then transitions into skateboarding, but the execution is amazing. I hardly watch movies without checking the time left, due to my incessant need to know everything, yet I didn't feel inclined to do so during this film. What that means is that the film has a perfect flow, it will keep you interested throughout the entire film.

It's a fictionalized film of "The Z-Boys" and how they revolutionized the sport of skateboarding. The film has much to do with skateboarding, but the main scenes are coming-of-age related and it really shows the simplicity of life that we take advantage of. There's many things you can take from this film: from fame, fortune, and success to humbleness, health, and friendship.

I thought this film would be a somewhat decent, but I was so wrong, it is an inspirational and interesting piece of art. I highly recommend this film if you have an open mind. If you aren't moved by the end, then you aren't human.

I will start out by saying that I really do love this movie, but I'm not here to rant and rave about it. This movie is fascinating to me because I do love the skate culture and seeing a movie about characters who started modern skating was, as I said, fascinating. However, I realize that most of the world doesn't think that. With that in mind, I will continue. This movie is not a documentary about skating!!! If you want a documentary then check out Dogtown and Z-Boys directed by a Z-boy himself. It is full of stories about how the Zephyr team came to be and the way life was in Venice Beach at the time. I personally love the documentary as well, but Lords of Dogtown is not meant to be a Hollywood representation of the documentary. If you are looking for that, DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE!!! Lords of Dogtown is meant to be a story about the characters that fills in the gaps the documentary leaves about how these people felt, mainly Jay Adams, Stacy Peralta, and Tony Alva. The camera angles are not straightforward, the cinematography is rough, and its not a cookie cutter film. But that, in my opinion, is why it works so well. A lot of the Z-Boys themselves were on staff for this movie and helped to make it as authentic as it could be while still holding the attention of movie-goers. These guys were very impressed with the way the film was produced and, for the most part, were very pleased with how it represented the time. If you love skate culture then chances are you will fall in love with this movie like I did. Even my parents, who are definitely not into the skate culture or the 70's, still enjoyed this movie and were interested about the documentary afterwards. This movie definitely made me more interested in what skating was all about and I can't get enough about these guys now. I highly recommend this movie as well as Dogtown and Z-Boys.

It was the seventies Sam. Materialism was making a comeback. For poor kids this was a way out of the dead end they saw in their future, so many of them jumped at the chance for a corporate sponsor. Watch the documentary. These were real people. Most of the events happened in some fashion to the team members, but to make it a more cohesive story, Peralta put it into one year and focused on the three main characters for the movie. Put the Dogtown and Z-boys documentary on and watch for how well they all match the mannerisms of the real people they are portraying. They also had to be convincing skating and in some scenes surfing. Watch the movie again with Peralta and Alva's commentary running and you will see and hear how close they got it to the real life these guys had. How can you say Emile Hirsch is one dimensional? John Robinson does most of his own skating. Peralta himself doubles for the multiple 360s in the Delmar contest scene. The real Alva does some as well. I've never even skated, but I lived through the seventies and I thought it was like stepping back into the past. Very convincing. The only thing I would have done differently would be to develop Wentzle's character more-he is a hoot in the documentary.

This film charts the rise of the legendary "Z-Boys" of California: Tony Alva (Victor Rasuk), Stacy Peralta (John Robinson), and Jay Adams (Emile Hirsch). After they go to work for board designer Skip Engblom (Heath Ledger), they pioneer a new style of skateboarding that wins them lots of success and acclaim. Of course, as is often the case, this fame is not without some costs. Stacy (who wrote the screenplay) emerges as the most even-keeled of the trio, while Tony gets a fairly swelled head.

"Lords of Dogtown" will surely resonate most for those people who came of age and forged their friendships in the 1970s, as well as all aficionados of the sport of skateboarding. For this viewer, it took a while to really grab hold, because it suffered from some excess. There's more footage than is really necessary of characters indulging in various forms of bad behaviour. Fortunately, as we actually see some humanity and humility from some of the principals, the story becomes more engaging. The hyperactive camera-work and quick cuts are distracting at first, but it's hard to argue with a soundtrack as cool as this one. There's one great rock song of the era after another. The moves performed by the actors' stunt doubles do provide some pretty good thrills.

The cast is fine and full of familiar faces: Rasuk, Robinson, and Hirsch are very well supported by Ledger, whose colourful performance is most welcome, and performers such as Rebecca De Mornay (always nice to see her in anything), Johnny Knoxville, William Mapother, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Nikki Reed, Pablo Schreiber, Elden Henson, Michael Angarano, Mitch Hedberg, America Ferrera, Sofia Vergara, Charles Napier, Bai Ling, Shea Whigham, Joel McHale, and Alexis Arquette. The real Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta, and Jay Adams have cameos, as does Tony Hawk; Jeremy Renner appears unbilled.

Overall, a decent snapshot of the L.A. skateboarding and surfing scene throughout the 1970s, with text at the end telling us what became of the principals.

Peralta also directed the documentary feature "Dogtown and Z-Boys".

Seven out of 10.

Prior to the Z Boys skateboarding team in the Dogtown part of Santa Monica it wasn't even considered a sport with most of the tricks being more related towards gymnastics. The Z Boys one of the first teams to use polyurethane wheels which allowed them to take their skateboarding to a whole other level then anyone else. They were able to make skateboarding into more of a fast paced and daredevil artform that it's today. Being able to stay on their boards on more types of terrain then ever before. They invented skating empty swimming pools which eventually lead to vert skating being invented. All of the skateboarders of the 1980's like Tony Hawk, Christian Hosoi, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain and s on wouldn't have been able to do what they did if it wasn't for Stacy Peralta, Jay Adams and Tony Alva. They were truly the forefathers of modern skateboarding.