Lords of Dogtown (2005) User Reviews

Lords Of Dogtown

[smurf_is_sxc · 8/10 · 22 September 2006]

Although there has been much controversy about whether the movie has really portrayed 'Dogtown' and the z-boys accurately, i feel this is not even necessary. If you feel unsatisfied with what you have learnt about the z-boys and Dogtown go and watch Peralta's documentary Dogtown and Z-boys. Lords of Dogtown has the intention of entertainment and i personally exetremely enjoyed it. Lords of Dogtown tells the story of how a group of Venice street kids changed the face of skateboarding (and, to some degree, youth) culture in the mid- to late 1970s. The adolescent adopted the Zephyr Shop, a surf store run by Skip Engblom (Heath Ledger), as their home away from the own dysfunctional homes. Engblom recruited the best skaters for the Zephyr Team. Including: Tony Alva (Victor Rasuk), responsible Stacy Peralta (John Robinson) and troubled bad-boy innovator Jay Adams (Emile Hirsch). With the introduction of urethane wheels (revolutionary for the boys skating style as now the wheels gripped, they could "climb walls")and the timely South Cal drought meaning swimming pools were to be emptied, giving the boys perfect locations to practice their gravity-defying maneuvers, Zephyr became the be-all-end-all of the skateboarding scene.

"Lords of Dogtown" follows the rise and inevitable fall of the team, efficiently conveying the events with a flat accuracy that emphasizes history over character development. Director Catherine Hardwicke ("Thirteen") does an outstanding job of re-creating the seedy '70s atmosphere so much so that you could be forgiven for assuming you were watching archival outtakes from "Z-Boys." Hardwicke really nails that sense of post-Vietnam, rejection of authority of SoCal.

Hardwicke also understands the thrilling nature of speed for these kids. She employs a point-of-view camera from a skateboard's wheel to convey the rush. Hardwicke's most important achievement, however, was how she portrayed that skating was indeed these boys life. You really could see how skating for character Jay Adams was an outlet for the psychological pain he was experiencing. Hardwicke was very devoted to her character's individual portrayals. She has 3 contrasting personalities of main characters and shows this also through camera techniques. Jay being the more kinesthetic, hard, "go-go-go" character has many hand held shots and the zoom is employed more, creating a rough, jerky portrayal. Stacey Peralta being the strangely responsible one with a job has straight on, clean cut shots. Tony Alva, however, our most competitive Z-boy by far is filmed often from below, giving him a larger than life presence.

The movie was composed exceptionally and not too 'Hollywood' ( that is focusing on unrealistic character relations and excruciatingly social-analytical). It moved just fast enough to stop you from being potentially bored by the many skating scenes if you did not fit that demographic. However, even there i felt Hardwicke handled this amazingly too. I have never thought in my life i would ever watch a skating movie but i simply adored this one. Character relations were conveyed so realistically. The boys relationships were almost to real, you could feel the unspoken tension between them as the Zephyr team starts to go their separate ways. Hardwicke shows that true, stereotypical male bonding, that is that their love of skateboarding in the end is what brings them together.

Featuring a great soundtrack - including much Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and the classic Wish You Were Here, i gave this movie a real thumbs up.

Good by Ledger

[BeLyt · 8/10 · 28 January 2008]

This was a great movie on friendship in the '70's, and a look at how the sport of skateboarding took off. I'd wanted to see it for awhile, so with Heath Ledger's death, didn't hesitate anymore. I didn't recognize him as the surf shop owner Skip, for the first several scenes. I think he added poignancy to his role, as did others who, in the film, fought their way to who they are. Interesting to know this is based on lives of people still in the skateboarding business, including the man who started off Tony Hawks career. It's good to have work out there yet to see Heath Ledger's talent shine. I'd recommend this movie to people who like to observe people, even if you're neither a skateboarding fan or a Ledger fan.

You'll appreciate the movie more if you watch Peralta's documentary Dogtown and Z-boys.

[kc1177 · 8/10 · 3 July 2006]

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.

Cement Surfing

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 12 June 2010]

Director Catherine Hardwicke, who helped a few teenagers discover the versatility of the tongue in "Thirteen" (2003), takes an impressive cast and crew back to the year 1975. The "Disco" storm was crashing airwaves, but not at Venice Beach, California. There, the pre-punk "Lords of Dogtown" ramped up skateboarding "to the extreme" and made it a sport.

Opening with the familiar phrase, "Inspired by a true story," this is a fictionalized film version of the superior documentary "Dogtown and Z-Boys" (2001) - which anyone interested in skateboarding as sport should see. Hardwicke's young "Lords" are Emile Hirsch (as Jay Adams), Victor Rasuk (as Tony Alva), and John Robinson (as Stacy Peralta). They are introduced in an excellent opening sequence, but the story doesn't get off the ground until about halfway through. We get a lot of documentary-styled scenes - which don't really do anything to improve upon "Dogtown and Z-Boys" - before getting to know the three leading men. It might be interesting to see Mr. Peralta's original story idea, because much of this story seems whitewashed.

Crack a board, bro…

The real drama herein arguably centers on Mr. Hirsch's character. The three actors are fine, but Hirsch is given the best material. As his sexy, sand-blasted mother, Rebecca De Mornay (as Philaine) helps. And, Hirsch gets to sing the "Slinky" theme song. Watch for a truly magical moment when, after losing a contest, Hirsch sails off the pier; photographed beautifully by Elliot Davis, it combines the thrills you experience surfing and skateboarding. Also on hand, in an stumbling and underwritten role, is wasted surfer Heath Ledger (as Skip Engblom). Better utilized is the role played by fellow traveler Michael Angarano (as Sid). He helps give the film an unexpected, uplifting ending by taking the three estranged "Lords" back to their roots.

****** Lords of Dogtown (6/3/05) Catherine Hardwicke ~ Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, John Robinson, Heath Ledger

"He's competing with the Sun for centre of the universe."

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 6 November 2018]

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.

It's about the Z-Boys.

[Rutegard · 7/10 · 13 May 2005]

Because I work with Swedish subtitles I had the chance to see this movie a while ago. I liked it. Lords of Dogtown has a great cast such as Heath Ledger, Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, John Robinson, Nikki Reed, Michael Angarano, Johnny Knoxville and Rebecca De Mornay among others.

In the mid 1970's, a group of teenage surfers from a tough neighborhood known as "Dogtown" in Venice, California pioneered a revolutionary new style of skateboarding. Riding the waves at the Pacific Ocean Park pier, the Z-Boys, known for their aggressive style and hard street attitude, combined the death-defying moves of surfing with the art of skateboarding and became overnight sensations and local legends. With empty pools as their canvas, the Z-Boys paved the way to what is now referred to as "extreme sports," and created a lifestyle that spread infectiously to become a worldwide counterculture phenomenon. But all of this fame would take its toll on the friendships that they thought would last a lifetime as the sport that started out as an afternoon hobby turned into big business.

Everyone was good, especially Heath Legder. He stars as Skip, the Z-Boys' party-animal ringleader whose money-hungry ways tear the boys apart. The director Catherine Hardwicke was not the first in mind of making this movie, she took over after David Fincher decided to leave the project for another feature. She did a great job creating the life among skateboarders, surfers and party animals in the 70's California. It's about the Z-Boys. They made skateboarding an art form, infusing it with the death-defying grace of surfing. I think this movie is worth a 7/10.

A Great, Under Rated Movie

[jlauro9 · 9/10 · 7 April 2007]

If you listen to a lot of the comments on this site you will probably never want to see this movie and that would be a shame because it is probably one of the best movies of the last couple of years. The thing I like most about this movie is that it transports you back to that glorious time in 70's Venice and that's what a good movie does. Granted, if I were to dig deeper into the facts of the Zephyr team I probably wouldn't like the movie as much because it wouldn't be "factual." What I have come to find out is that most movies that are based on a true story always distort the facts but that is irrelevant. This is still a movie, not a documentary. The purpose here is to entertain. I remember Roger Ebert gave "JFK" a great review and Walter Konkrite ripped him for it saying the events depicted were not fact based. Ebert responded by saying that the movie captured the nation's collective fears, paranoia, and cynicism about the government since the assassination and that's what a movie is supposed to do. I love the use of music in this movie and how the character's all have to come to grips in their own ways with their new found stardom. The ending is also very emotional and almost poetic. Overall, a fun, nostalgic glimpse into some of the skater's lives and what they did for their sport.

where's jeff ho?

[nappytalk · 6/10 · 4 June 2005]

i have to assume that he didn't want anything to do with the production cuz he was missing entirely from the story. i would really like to find out what actually went down with him and this film.

heath ledger was really cool, i thought, as skip.. did he remind anyone else of kilmer's performance as jim morrison in the doors? emile hirsh was good but i never bought him as jay.. it's nearly impossible for a young actor in Hollywood to get that streetwise so fast. the guy that played tony was good considering he had never skated before.

hardwicke did a really good job, especially having to work with peralta's bonehead script, and having the actual z-boys looking over her shoulder the whole time.

what did u guys think?

portrayal totally on target

[adavin65 · 10/10 · 22 December 2007]

I grew up in California and this movie REALLY brought me back to the 70's and what was happening in the skateboard world. The actors were totally on mark with their portrayals of these guys and how things were back then in California at that time. I'm a girl and I was into skateboarding at that time. I saved my own money to buy my own boards. I even remember my mom came home one day and gave me an article from a magazine about Alva. I met him later in the 80's and he's a very down to earth guy. If you grew up in Cali at this time, you will LOVE this movie and if you didn't you will get the true idea of what it was like then. Awesome job guys on this film! A definite classic!

strong on style, weak on drama

[Buddy-51 · 6/10 · 7 July 2006]

The Z-Boys were a group of Venice Beach teenagers who, in the 1970's, pioneered a whole new style of skateboarding that is still popular today and which earned the boys status as instant international celebrities (at least within the tightly circumscribed world of skating). In 2001, one of the original members of the group, Steve Peralta, wrote and directed a documentary on the boys entitled "Dogtown and Z-Boys," which featured interviews with many of the original members of the group. Then, in 2005, a "fictionalized" version of the story came along, "Lords of Dogtown," also written by Peralta, but this time directed by Catherine Hardwicke.

It's understandable that in her approach to the material Hardwicke would want to preserve as much as possible the roughhewn, documentary flavor of the original. Thus, virtually the entire movie has been shot on grainy film stock using a hand-held camera, which creates a sense of immediacy and spontaneity, and nicely approximates the look of the time period in which the story is set. The best scenes involve the boys performing harrowing, death-defying stunts, as they glide through and around pedestrians and vehicles along the traffic-clogged streets of their Southern California neighborhood. However, this impressionistic style also means that the narrative is often diffuse and unfocused, making it hard for us to distinguish one character from another and to know just who we should be concentrating on at any given moment. The ostensible protagonist seems to be Peralta himself, although it is roughly 45 minutes into the film's running time before even that simple fact becomes apparent. However, about halfway through the film, the dramatic elements finally begin to come together, we get to know some of the boys as individuals, and the movie ends on a genuinely touching note.

In the rare moments when the camera actually manages to settle down and an individual scene is allowed to play itself out, we begin to sense that some of the boys playing the skaters may actually have some real talent as actors (we can certainly see that they are damn fine skaters), and a few of them I suspect we will be hearing from again in the not too distant future. In a non-skating role, Heath Ledger plays a sort of mentor to the boys and the owner of the surf shop which served as the launching pad for the movement. Unfortunately, with his half-hearted attempt at mastering a slacker/stoner persona and accent, Ledger seems to be merely marking time in this film, counting down to that moment when he would stun the world with his soul-shattering performance in "Brokeback Mountain." Who could have foretold from his work here that he had THAT up his sleeve? "Lords of Dogtown" is moderately informative to those who know next to nothing about the history of skateboarding, but I imagine it is the true aficionado of the sport who will get the most enjoyment out of the movie

This film is NOT for everyone

[zephyrforever75 · 10/10 · 12 January 2009]

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.

A fun movie, not film

[deathbyphoto · 7/10 · 3 June 2005]

When I first heard this film was being made, I was very excited because, despite being about 10 years too late, grew up inspired by the Z-Boys through the writings and photographs of C.R. Stecyk and Glen E. Friedman. Adams, Alva and Peralta are the three most important skateboarders ever. Heck... I have a Jay Adams tattoo portrait.

Then I had second thoughts fearing the Hollywood-ization of their story. I thought the drama of their tough lives in Venice would likely be glamorized and exploited with much of the truth unbelievably stretched. But I wasn't their to witness it, so I asked someone who was part of the Dogtown skate scene and friends with those the film is about, and he said that is exactly what the movie.

He also told me that if you're familiar with the true story or have even just seen the documentary (Dogtown & the Z-Boys), then the movie will just come off corny. But if you go into not expecting an intelligent film and just a fun movie, you may get just that. So I saw it today think it would be just that, and it was.

The skate scenes were all right, but excited me by striking up thoughts of the truth of it all. The aggressiveness of Ledger's portrayal of Skip Enblom seemed cheesy and over the top. The kids who played Peralta and Alva weren't terrible, too, but Emile Hirsch did a good job as Jay Adams. And I'm confused at who this Chino guy is. I'm guessing it's supposed to be Zephyr shop owner Jeff Ho who wouldn't have anything to do with the film.

It was funny to see cameos by Alva, Adams, Peralta, Skip and Bob Biniak. Tony Hawk's cameo was uncalled for. But overall, the film was enjoyable, especially by all everyone else in the theater, considering I was the only one above the age of 17 it seemed. And it's great to see the legend of these guys be spread to new generations, especially with skateboarding as popular than ever. I think all new skaters should recognize their roots.

I just hope people will make the effort to at least see the documentary and hopefully pick up Stecyk and Friedman's "Dogtown - The Legend of the Z-Boys" book and read all the original Skateboarder magazine stories and images. That can't be beat.

Disjointed story, uninspired performances hobble 'Lords'

[olddayrising · 4/10 · 2 October 2005]

Stacey Peralta's documentary "Dogtown and Z-Boys" served as the springboard for "Lords of Dogtown," a fictionalized account of extreme skateboarding's birth. Poor teenagers from Dogtown, an area of Venice Beach, CA, emerged from relative obscurity to become superstars and make skateboarding into a true counterculture.

This is director Catherine Hardwicke's second feature. I really wanted to like her first film, 2003's "Thirteen," but like that effort "Dogtown" falls victim to some scattershot storytelling and poor direction.

Events happen with little explanation or background and characters do things that seem totally inconsistent with their past actions. The actors do what they can, but this ultimately seems like a textbook example of poor direction and screenplay resulting in a subpar product.

Heath Ledger, sporting fake teeth, scraggly hair and an everpresent cigarette, hams it up like an actor twice his age as Dogtown skateboard guru Skip Engblom. The main trio of teens, portrayed by Emile Hirsch, John Robinson and Victor Rasuk, are played as little more than caricatures, with no motivation for their performances. Michael Angronaro fares the best of all the actors, playing a doomed rich boy who longs to be part of the Dogtown culture.

It feels like there could have been a good dramatized feature made from this true story, but this is definitely not it. This deserved a director with a true knack for the visual and a screenplay devoid of clichés.

Better than I expected

[sonof_liberty · 7/10 · 15 April 2005]

I had the privilege to go to an advanced screening of this film in Seattle on April 6. Since it was my first advanced screening I may be biased (due to the fact it cost nothing for me.) This is my first review for an advanced screening, so it may be lacking in some respects. Please excuse this.

"The Lords of Dogtown" us based on a group of rag-tag revolutionary skaters in the 1970s in Santa Monica, CA (aka Dogtown). Of the main group of skaters, I was only able to recognize the lead, Stacy, played by John Robinson of 2003's "Elephant." This group of skaters includes world famous skate champion Tony Alva (Victor Rasuk), rich boy skater Sid, Michael Angarano, and problematic, Jay (Emile Hirsch.) The group of skaters, all teens at the time were once surfers who were introduced into the world of skateboarding via their older mentor(ish) friend, Skip, played by Heath Ledger. Skip creates the "Zephyr's" (Z boys) skateboarding team of his beachside surf shop. The Z Boys go around SoCal and go into competitions of skateboard and blow away the other competitors.

Each of the original "Z Boys" had their own cameo appearance in subtle locations throughout the film. Since most of the target audience, namely 13-21 year olds do not recognize these skaters, an there is a obvious newsreel cameo by Tony Hawk, playing an astronaut, (Who had more screen time than any other cameo, but who was, however, not a part of the Z Boys.) The possible 40-55 age group, who actually lived during this time, is only given teases of the original "Z Boys" Early in the film all of the characters are introduced as very similar, each with their own quirks and idiosyncrasies. Conveniently, the writer, Stacy Peralta, is the main character, which is the stand out of the group of friends, (He has a job, and responsibilities.) The movie does not really get interesting until the drought, Tony Alva devises a plan to use an empty pool as the skate locale. At this point in the film, his has been made and is presented in a manner for anyone to see that any city or private owned skate bowl was first derived from empty pools in Southern California.

The "surfing world" of the movie is shown with grainy, washed out images and looks to have used the same bleach bypass that Saving Private Ryan did. This part of the film gave the audience the impression that surfing was something to be washed out in their lives and to slowly fade away as their hobby/occupation of choice. The movie also employed, several times, the camera works of skateboarding videos, (Use of fish eye lenses and the "man on the skateboard following people" technique.) However, the use of these techniques is minimal and not consistent throughout the film. Some scenes we see it used on the streets, other times we see the streets, but no use of it at all. The beginning seemed to have a conflict of whether it was trying to be documentary/skate video like or Hollywood movie.

The rest of the film chronicles the fame (and downfall for some) its characters, and their conflict between one another. The skaters start out as young, juvenile delinquents into famous, rich skaters. I expected this film to be as brainless as "Grind," yet; I also expected something of quality given my previous viewing of "The Dogtown and Z-Boys." I was surprised that I was entertained and interested in the characters throughout the film.

The movie never feels like its leading up to a large climax, and the "main event" for the skaters never really feels like its important. It ends however on a good note, given all of the problems of each character. The movie was overall entertaining and gives an opportunity for current, young skaters to look into the past or even gasp talk to their parents about skateboarding in their day. When it "Dogtown" comes out on June 3rd, it will be the quintessential summer film, and may hopefully breathe new life into the excellent documentary it is connected with as well as the origin of modern skateboarding.

kind of loses its edge halfway through

[The_Amazing_Spy_Rises · 6/10 · 19 February 2006]

It's not that this is a bad movie, by any means. It's good, and the first half of the movie gets a 9 out of 10, for how fun, crazy, and just flat out cool it is. But after Johnny Knoxville appears (I'm not knocking him, the downhill motion begins after his appearance), this movie just falls apart.

Jay Adams (Emile Hirsch - The Emperor's Club, The Girl Next Door), Stacy Peralta (John Robinson - Elephant) and Tony Alva (Victor Rusak - Raising Victor Vargas) are all the hottest skateboarders in the early 1980's California, in an area known as Dogtown. This movie is an actual story account of Stacy Peralta's award winning documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys. We meet the skaters, and their skate shop owner/sponsor Skip (believe it or not, it's Oscar nominee Heath Ledger), and their buddy who tags along after them, but never could skate, Syd (Michael Angarano - Sky High), we watch the skaters have a blast just skating, breaking rules, throwing parties, having sex, you know...doing 80's things.

After the competitions end, and Johnny Knoxville appears and signs Tony away from Skip, the movie loses its edge, which sends it to the ground faster than a skater after a busted rail grind. The actors also seem to lose their grip. Hirsch's character becomes flatly moody and angry, and you never see anything else. It's hard to believe Robinson's Peralta, because after a while, he just doesn't seem like a skater from the 80's. I don't want to know what could have happened had the real Stacy Peralta not written this movie and not been there to help Robinson. Heath Ledger is probably the only consistent performer in the film, but he doesn't have a lot of screen time. His performance is the real treat of the movie, a complete 180 from what we're used to from him. Victor Rusak's Tony Alva seems to be okay, but once again, he is very one dimensional, and this goes for all the characters until a crucial turning point where we learn something tragic about another character (don't want to spoil it).

This movie had a lot of potential, but just didn't live up to it as much as I hoped. I really wanted this movie to succeed, because of my personal attachment to the world of skateboarding through my friends and brothers (I'm kind of like Syd, because I can't skate to save my life). As I've said before, this movie is excellent for the first 50 minutes to an hour, but just falls off the table after that. It's a good rent at best, but Stacy Peralta's writing saves it from being a total bomb. Godspeed to director Catherine Hardwicke on finding another job after this one, because without Peralta, this movie sinks like a stone. If you listen closely to the narration, you'll know that Sean Penn narrates it. I recommend this to teenagers and middle aged adults that were like the characters, because you could relate to them.

6/10 --spy

Where was Jeff Ho?

[bryan_edwards · 7/10 · 1 June 2005]

Come on Stacy... who owned the Zephyr and the shop, and why was he never there?? Good movie for anyone who did not grow up in Venice or SanMo or skated in the mid 70's Dogtown and Z boys was better it had a more accurate portrayal of the energy that was skating in the 70's that is all I can say 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 11111111111111111 1111111111111 11111111111111111111111111111111111111 Why do I need to write 10 lines of text when i have said what I needed?

Enjoy it with an open mind

[reneweddan · 10/10 · 16 October 2010]

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.

the documentary was better

[jentis76 · 6/10 · 23 January 2007]

I think this movie should have flashed "inspired by true events" every half hour to remind the viewer that it was LOOSELY based. If you want a really cool experience you should watch Dogtown & Z-Boys!!!!!!

I did think it was cool that so many of the actual people involved in making skateboarding what it is made cameos throughout the movie. And Tony Alva actually does skate doubles for his character---that's pretty rockin'!!

All in all I wasn't completely disappointed, I just wish it would have focused a little more--it jumped around a lot, and I think it helped that I had seen the documentary as a background first.

Good Supplement to the Documentary

[DJJOEINC · 8/10 · 20 May 2007]

Lords of Dogtown - following the swell documentary Dogtown & The Z-Boys this flick follows 3 of the legendary sidewalk surfers from their early days as grommits keeping the pier locals only to the dogbowl sessions.The movie does a good job of capturing the exuberance of youth - the ability to create your own fun with limited resources- and like a typical "rise and fall " of rock star movie- we get treated to the rise and fall of the Zephyr team.A good vintage soundtrack(including "Super Stupid" by Funkadelic) and tons of cameos from skaters flesh out an entertaining look @ skating years before it was part of the extreme sports thing. The DVD is chock full of extras including 2 different commentaries- including one by 2 of the original Z-Boys.Starring Emile Hirsch,Heath Ledger,Johnny Knoxville and others. B+

Somebody's gonna get their head kicked in tonight...

[StevePulaski · 6/10 · 15 July 2012]

It's the early 1970's in Santa Monica, California. Long, sun-bleached hair, bad-boy mentalities, and lawless behavior were things that attracted the girls, and daredevils seemingly lurked around every street-corner, boasting a life of dysfunctional mishaps and isolation. It is when a skateboard-designer named Skip Engblom was given polyurethane wheels for his boards that allowed a skateboarder to have the ability to "climb walls" and defy gravity did he get the bold idea that him and his surfer friends could revolutionize the activity, thus implementing a whole new kind of skating.

The teens that pioneered this life were Skip (Heath Ledger), Tony Alva (Victor Rasuk), Stacy Peralta (John Robinson), and Jay Adams (Emile Hirsch). What assisted in their discoveries and possibilities was the ongoing drought that plagued most of the California area during the time, forcing nearby residencies to drain their pools. This led to the discovery that empty pools could be used as a good source of ramps and tricks. I believe it is a tradition that skateparks today have something like this on-location. Not only did the boys find popularity with the ladies, but were attracted to the business side of skating, where it is no longer innocuous riding, but an activity of skill and recklessness that only few are willing to pursue head-on.

Lords of Dogtown explores this era in time, and pulls us along for a ride similar to what the protagonists in the film embarked on. The real Stacy Peralta penned the screenplay for the film and manages to give us a taste at what life was like during this time period.

The two immediate things to laud about the film are its use of cinematography and extremely well-crafted soundtrack. The cinematography combines a high-contrast color scheme, complimented with grainy, documentary-like sequences of skating providing the viewer with a seemingly authentic experience. A wide variety of shots are utilized and explored, and we even get a nice look under the boards to examine the wheels doing what they do. Furthermore, the shot-variety is topped off with heavy-metal rock songs taken from all over the grid, again, giving the viewer a rather accurate depiction of the time period. This is one of those movies where the music adds a lot to the tonal aspect of the experience, and it helps out more than impressions would believe.

We are given a cast of capable actors as well. Emile Hirsch, a talent still underrated and unsung to this day, gives a great performance as the reckless bad-boy, John Robinson, who I adored in Gus Van Sant's long forgotten Elephant, gives a performance of memorable status, and the same can be said for Victor Rasuk. Yet, the highlight here is inevitably Heath Ledger, giving a raw and realistic portrayal of a skateboarding prodigy. He was apparently drunk or under heavy substances during filming and I can say that this definitely helped the role - although it probably isn't recommended.

The film was directed by Catherine Hardwicke, who worked behind the camera for the excellent film, Thirteen, which centered around a good girl gone bad when she met an underprivileged friend at school. Nikki Reed, the supporting actress of that film, returns here in a rather underwritten role as one of the main love interests. Lords of Dogtown seems to have all the pieces here, but what it forgets is to build on the story lines of these kids and their friends. We get many sequences of hardcore skating, scenes of them running from police, and scenes of competition, but never do we get simple scenes of talking. Writer Stacy Peralta either figures that viewers have seen the documentary, Dogtown and Z-Boys, which serves as the pseudo-predecessor to this film or believes that teenagers and skaters aren't interested in healthy, descriptive monologues. Correct me if I'm wrong, for I'm not a skater, but aren't many skaters emphasizing that they are often misunderstood because of societal stereotypes and are repeatedly ostracized? Aren't they sometimes looked at as the scum and pariahs of their community? I believe that some monologues about acceptance and societal visions would've fit well in this film, yet, alas, there are very few.

As for Dogtown and Z-Boys, I've read numerous times online that in order to fully appreciate this film, one must watch that one beforehand. Having not seen that at this point, I can still say I got enough enjoyment out of the film to warrant amusement and interest, but not a recommendation. The film's a bit indulgent and neglects to offer as much depth and structure as one would assume, with this being written by a skater portrayed in the film. With that being said, if one were to seek out a fictionalized account of a skater's trouble with society and social differences after an unexpected accident occurs, one could watch Gus Van Sant's Paranoid Park, which illustrates this theme very carefully. I have just reviewed one marginally passable film and one of respectable quality. The choice is yours...

Starring: Heath Ledger, Emile Hirsch, John Robinson, Victor Rasuk, Michael Angarano, Johnny Knoxville, and Nikki Reed. Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke.

I was pleasantly surprised..

[strangerreply · 9/10 · 18 May 2005]

Having been dragged to this movie preview by my 9 year old skateboarding son, my expectations were low. This film was well done, and did not require a dramatic denouement. The biggest surprise was Heath Ledger, who casts off his pretty boy image and chews up the scenery. My 16 year old daughter is going to love it because of the boys, the board-boys will love it because it chronicles the history of the sport, and parents like me will be swept away by the soundtrack alone. I hope this film gets the attention it deserves. My husband had seen the trailer and warned me that I was in for snooze, but I was actually quite engaged the entire time. I am currently putting together a program in Seattle that will pair teen skaters with beginners in exchange for community service hours. Hopefully this film will reinvigorate the sport and draw more attention to the need for decent skate parks in the area.

A decent effort that's lacking in emotional involvement

[mvcornelius · 7/10 · 31 May 2005]

I have been a skateboarder since the 70's. I lived through the rise of the Dogtown era. This movie details many of the events surrounding Dogtown crew and does so with nice accuracy for the skating, dress and attitude. What is does not do is expand on the emotions of the participants. How did they FEEL about all they were experiencing. The Documentary "Dogtown and Z-Boys actually does a better job in this regard. Since there is little emotional engagement with the characters there is really no problem to work out in the third act. The movie seems to end abruptly. I think this movie is a decent effort overall however. Now that writer Stacy Peralta has this autobiographical movie out of his system I have high hopes that his next movie will be more focused on characters and their inner voice rather than showing all the events that made up an era.

Lords of Dogpoop

[static_addict · 3/10 · 22 November 2005]

Okay, I rented this movie the other day in high hopes of seeing a good true story on the lives of the skateboard legends from Venice but I was wrong, very wrong. We will do this Sergio Leone style: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

-----The Good------

-The cinematography is the best part about this film. This film has a documentary look and a very high contrast color tone. The camera is shaky and realistic looking. It makes this film seem more like a true story than the acting does.

-The skate boarding in this film was mostly done by the actual actors. It was fast and true to the 70s era of extreme skating.

-Heath Ledger. Undougtingly the best actor in this film. But he really reminded me of Jim Morrison more than anything else. Oh yeah, he was pretty much drunk the entire film.

------The Bad------

-The Story. It seemed like this story of the Z-Boys really needed more dialog. Most of the film is them skateboarding, then pissing someone off, breaking car windows and then running off. This film did delve into their careers as professional skateboarders but did it in a lagging 107 minute running time, when this story could have been told in 80.

-The Acting. If you had seen director Catherine Hardwicke's last film "Thirteen" you would think that she knows how to push actors to their breaking point, but this film really lacks emotion and effort. The acting is as childish as watching a school play. I guess that the actors were cast for their skateboarding skills rather than their acting.

------The Ugly------

-Rebecca De Mornay. *shutters*. What happened to that hot girl from "Risky Business"? Maybe she got old. Or its the fact that she was suppose to be a crack head in this film, or it is because nobody cared.

-John Robinson. Playing Stacy Peralta looks like he needs some sort of toner on his cheeks. The whole way through the movie I was thinking, "who smacked him in the face?".

So there it is, my analysis on "Lords of Dogtown". If you want to see the true story of the Z-Boys, watch "Dogtown and the Z-boys". This movie was a shot and miss on all fronts.

A boring movie without an actual aim

[Gordon-11 · 20 May 2006]

I did not have high hopes when I watched it as I don't even know how to skateboard. I watched it anyway, and it was a waste of my time.

Someone must have decided to make a skateboarding film by putting a lot of skateboard scenes together with a few talking scenes in between. As a result, the film seemed like an incoherent mix of scenes put together. There is a plot, which is all the actors do their own thing in the film. I do not feel for any of the characters in the film, and the film did not make me care about the characters either. The only redeeming feature of this film is that the skateboarding scenes are really cool, but I could have watched these scenes on a sports channel anyway. There is no cinematography, no character development and no substance. The film feels so empty.

Lords was great!!!

[freeeeeeeze · 7/10 · 2 November 2005]

I saw the documentary back in 2002 and that it was a very well made piece of work...it really answered a lot of questions for me about the early stages of how skating as we know it today came about. When I found out about Lords of Dogtown coming out this summer...I knew it was going to be the same story told on a more personal level. Anyone who thought that this movie sucked because it didn't go into detail like the documentary and left a lot of stuff out TOTALLY MISSED THE POINT. I can see why they focused on these 3 skaters(Alva,Peralta,Adams)the way they did...ALva succeeded on his own terms...Peralta created his own legendary Skateboard Company that made a new generation of skaters famous...Tony Hawk being one of them...and the trials and tribulations of Adams...This movie made you care about these skaters where the Documentary focused on the sport itself. But I loved them both...one piece of advice..see the documentary first to get a background.