Lords of Dogtown is a docudrama, rare in its grit and authenticity, that also strives for the mythical youth-rebel excitement of something like "8 Mile."
Hardwicke whips up a frenzy of crazy-cool board action, with Alva choreographing the stunts. Even when the slippery-slope-of-success cliches halt the film's momentum, the ready-to-rock actors rev it up again.
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The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
Takes a surprisingly gritty approach that gives the material some gravitas but also robs it of some of its fun.
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Village Voice
Village Voice
Hardwicke's pop-Cassavetes melodrama nevertheless rides as smoothly as a big-budget after-school special, capturing youth struggles from an appropriately blown-out teen's-eye perspective.
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The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
It's no surprise that when it ultimately tries to pluck at the heartstrings, it rings hollow. The film lives and dies by speed.
After trying to prove himself a serious actor in deadly dull movies, Ledger lightens up and brightens up a movie that attempts the trick of bringing a new spin to an old story but can't pull off the stunt.
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ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Inept storytelling is one of Lords of Dogtown's great frustrations.