Susan Granger’s review of “Lords of Dogtown” (Columbia Pictures/Tri-Star)
When a drought hit Southern California in the 1970s and backyard swimming pools could not be filled, scruffy, scrappy skateboarders with new polyurethane wheels quickly realized their potential and a landlocked, daredevil subculture was born.This is the story of a trio of rebellious skateboarders who transformed the sport into a national phenomenon. It’s all about their friendship and rivalry. Stacy Peralta (John Robinson), Tony Alva (Victor Rasuk) and Jay Adams (Emile Hirsch) initially ran with a tough, older gang of Venice Beach ocean surfers until they discovered they could “surf” on concrete, maneuvering their boards like surfboards. Named for their sponsor, Zephyr surf shop, owned by volatile alcoholic Skip Engblom (Heath Ledger, speaking with an annoying slur), the fearless Z-boys became self-absorbed local celebrities and chick magnets, attracting dozens of bikini-clad groupies.Eventually, Alva went into pro skateboarding, while Adams rejected sponsorship offers and fell in with a punk-rock crowd. Peralta wrote and directed the award-winning documentary “Dogtown and the Z-Boys” (2001) on which this secondary rags-to-riches melodrama is based.Under Stacy Peralta’s supervision, director Catherine Hardwicke (“Thirteen”) explored the restless skateboarding world, hiring seasoned athletes to do most of the dangerous stunts. Her background as a production designer dominates, giving the inept, clichŽ-laden story more style than substance. Viewed through the jerky, jiggling, hand-held camera, the various competitions blur together as the skaters repeatedly go up and down ramps. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Lords of Dogtown” is a gnarly 5. But if you’re into this sport, I guess it’s the wheel deal.
