A decent film with a few engaging scenes and characters.

Rating: 4/10 (31 July 2006)

In the mid-70's, a group of teen surfers from Venice, California formed a skateboarding team known as the "Z-Boyz", turning a fad into a sport by introducing a number of wild surfing-influenced moves that had not been seen before. But the fame and fortune that came along with their newfound notoriety eventually leads to friction between the friends.
I don't really like skateboarding so I thought this film was going to be boring but it turned out to be enjoyable. The characters were realistic and the drama was intense. Also, the skateboarding scenes were pretty impressive even if a couple of them ran longer than they should have. The screenplay was pretty routine and predictable but it was still engaging. It was written by Stacy Peralta who just happens to be one of the characters in the movie. Unsurprisingly, Stacy Peralta was the nicest character in the film and he was also one of the best skaters in the film. I wonder if it really happened like this or if Peralta was just making himself look good. They should have asked all of the original "Z-Boyz" to pen the script even though there's a documentary on the same story.
The first half of the movie was kind of slow and dull. It took awhile for things to get going. However, the second half picked up and it was a lot more exciting. The ending was really nice even if it was a little cheesy. It was my favorite part in the film since it was more than a little heartwarming. Catherine Hardwicke did a horrible job behind the camera. She moved the camera rapidly with quick editing and I guess she was trying to get a documentary feel to the film. It didn't work out very well. It was messy and it seemed like a desperate attempt for drama and excitement. Also, the dialog was exaggerated and annoying. I know skateboarders really do speak like that but only to a point. They really went overboard with it and it was very unnecessary.
The acting was pretty good with Emile Hirsch giving the best performance. His character was the most developed and interesting one. He handled the role well and he should become a big star one day. Victor Rasuk was also pretty good as Tony though a little annoying. John Robinson was okay, a little dull though. Heath Ledger was pretty funny as Skip and his character was a good idol for the young skaters. Rebecca De Mornay gave a horrible performance that was completely fake and unbelievable. Michael Angarano played Sid and his performance was pretty good. It was sad to watch at times because of the illness Sid had and what it did to him. This is why I really liked the ending because it was just the boys skating with Sid watching them. The majority of the film was on the forgettable side but the ending was really touching. In the end, Lords of Dogtown is worth checking out for skater fans otherwise approach with caution. Rating 7/10