Lords of Dogtown

For those who have seen this story already in its true form (the documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys), the new movie from director Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen) might feel a little shallow and silly. This is a movie that figures it is doing an adequate job of capturing 1970s surfing-skating culture by having the actors grow long hair and punctuate nearly every sentence with “bro” or “dude.” In actuality, Dogtown often feels like a parody of these people rather than a realistic take on their rise to fame and eventual hard knocks. At times, it has the feel of a That ’70s Show episode. Hardwicke and her stunt doubles make some of the board rides fun to watch. The movie has enough of them, including the now-legendary stolen sessions in empty swimming pools, to keep enthusiasts amused. Where the film goes afoul is with its dramatics, often horribly handled by a cast of young actors.