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'Lords of Dogtown': A wipe-out of wandering confusion
by Bob Townsend

In her well-regarded directorial debut, "Thirteen," Catherine Hardwicke ditched conventional narrative for a series of anecdotes choreographed with manic camera work that somehow worked to tell the harrowing tale of an out-of-control teenage girl. Hardwicke tries some of those same moves in her second effort, "Lords of Dogtown." But maybe because most of the material in this movie about the pubescent pioneers of radical skateboarding is derived from a 2001 documentary, "Dogtown and Z-Boys," much of the drama gets wiped out in a wandering confusion of characters, dates and places. Read the full review

TO SUM UP
In the 1970s, a group of teenage surfers from a tough neighborhood known as "Dogtown" in Venice, Calif., pioneer a new style of skateboarding. But as their hobby turns into big business, fame takes a toll on their friendship.

FILM FACTS ...

TriStar Pictures

'Lords of Dogtown'

Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, John Robinson, Heath Ledger
Run time: 105 minutes
Release date: June 3, 2005
Rating: PG-13 for drug and alcohol content, sexuality, violence, language and reckless behavior — all involving teens.
See showtimes

On the web
Official movie site
View the trailer
Trailers require Quicktime

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READ THE REVIEW

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: C+
"While the actors do a decent job capturing the aura of their characters, the writing, directing and editing stumble."

Read the full review

The Middletown Journal: B
"The aimless storytelling ends up working to the movie's advantage... The movie feels gritty yet reflective at the same time."