Lords of Dogtown | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

56% Tomatometer 147 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings

A drought in 1970s Southern California has an unexpected side effect: as people empty their swimming pools, a group of teen surfers from the Dogtown area of Venice Beach move in with skateboards, and a new sport is born. Based on a true story, this film follows "Z-Boys" skate team members Stacy Peralta (John Robinson), Tony Alva (Victor Rasuk) and Jay Adams (Emile Hirsch), plus manager Skip Engblom (Heath Ledger), as their fearless "pool surfing" leads to fame, fortune -- and misfortune. Read More Read Less

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Lords of Dogtown

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Critics Consensus

Lords of Dogtown, while slickly made and edited, lacks the depth and entertaining value of the far superior documentary on the same subject, Dogtown and Z-Boys.

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Critics Reviews

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Lords of Dogtown | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Empire Magazine Rated: 3/5 Sep 16, 2005 Full Review Lords of Dogtown | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Rated: 3.5/5 Jun 12, 2005 Full Review Lords of Dogtown | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com If anything, Lords of Dogtown is an incredibly standard rise and fall tale of a friendship pushed to its limits by unforeseen superstardom. If you're looking for anything different or unusual, it might be best to take a look someplace else. Rated: 2.5/4 Jun 11, 2005 Full Review Lords of Dogtown | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Marya E. Gates Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack) Heath Ledger is like a shot of lightning in his early supporting role as surf shop owner Skip Engblom, who co-formed the Zephyr skate team aka the Z-Boys. Aug 16, 2024 Full Review Lords of Dogtown | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies The outfits, the cars, the lingo, the fantastic soundtrack – it’s all used seamlessly to recreate a highly believable 1970’s. Rated: 3.5/5 Aug 23, 2022 Full Review Lords of Dogtown | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Mattie Lucas The Dispatch (Lexington, NC) The feelings, emotions, language, every nuance and every frame comes alive with astonishing authenticity. Rated: 3.5/4 Jun 5, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Gareth v Not a bad movie, but not a great one either. If you're into skateboarding this will be right up your alley. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/02/24 Full Review Nawt W As a rear-view look at the beginning of the new progressive skateboarding style pioneered by a few street rascals from Santa Monica who incorporated their surfing skills into their enthusiasm, it's pretty palatable. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/19/23 Full Review Bruce S This really makes you wanna go out and skate with your homies Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/12/23 Full Review Ryan O Great movie. Based on a true story. Good peice of history for the kids. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/16/23 Full Review Dave Admittedly not as good as the documentary Dogtown and z boys but if you like the subject matter you'll enjoy the film. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Good acting. Not a fan of the writing Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 12/12/22 Full Review Read all reviews

Lords of Dogtown

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Cast & Crew

Catherine Hardwicke Director Emile Hirsch Jay Adams Victor Rasuk Tony Alva John Robinson Stacy Peralta Michael Angarano Sid Nikki Reed Kathy Alva
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Movie Clips

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Lords of Dogtown

Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Pool Skating Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Pool Skating 2:16 Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Skip's Troubles Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Skip's Troubles 2:56 Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Fame and Fortune Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Fame and Fortune 1:29 Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Skateboard Championship Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Skateboard Championship 2:57 Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - No Team Anymore Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - No Team Anymore 2:17 Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Skating with Sid Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Skating with Sid 3:30 Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Not Looking Good Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Not Looking Good 2:17 Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Surfing the Streets Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Surfing the Streets 3:17 Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Sorry I Left Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Sorry I Left 2:55 Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Bailing on Skip Lords of Dogtown: Official Clip - Bailing on Skip 2:59 View more videos

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Photos

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Lords of Dogtown

A scene from the film "Lords of Dogtown." A scene from the film "Lords of Dogtown." A scene from the film "Lords of Dogtown." On the set of the film "Lords of Dogtown." On the set of the film "Lords of Dogtown." A scene from the film "Lords of Dogtown." View more photos

Synopsis A drought in 1970s Southern California has an unexpected side effect: as people empty their swimming pools, a group of teen surfers from the Dogtown area of Venice Beach move in with skateboards, and a new sport is born. Based on a true story, this film follows "Z-Boys" skate team members Stacy Peralta (John Robinson), Tony Alva (Victor Rasuk) and Jay Adams (Emile Hirsch), plus manager Skip Engblom (Heath Ledger), as their fearless "pool surfing" leads to fame, fortune -- and misfortune.

Director
Catherine Hardwicke

Producer
Joseph Drake, John Linson

Screenwriter
Stacy Peralta, Catherine Hardwicke

Distributor
Columbia Tristar, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Production Co
Indelible Pictures

Rating
PG-13 (Drug and Alcohol Content|All Involving Teens|Violence|Language|Reckless Behavior|Sexuality)

Genre
Biography, Drama

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 3, 2005, Wide

Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2012

Box Office (Gross USA)
$11.0M

Runtime
1h 46m

Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS

Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)
Most Popular at Home Now
Lords of Dogtown | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

Is Lords of Dogtown based on a true story? ›

There, the pre-punk "Lords of Dogtown" ramped up skateboarding "to the extreme" and made it a sport. Opening with the familiar phrase, "Inspired by a true story," this is a fictionalized film version of the superior documentary "Dogtown and Z-Boys" (2001) - which anyone interested in skateboarding as sport should see.

Who was Sid in Lords of Dogtown? ›

Lords of Dogtown (2005) - Michael Angarano as Sid - IMDb.

Who played Skip in Lords of Dogtown? ›

Lords of Dogtown (2005) - Heath Ledger as Skip - IMDb.

Who plays Tony Alva in Lords of Dogtown? ›

Based on a true story, this film follows "Z-Boys" skate team members Stacy Peralta (John Robinson), Tony Alva (Victor Rasuk) and Jay Adams (Emile Hirsch), plus manager Skip Engblom (Heath Ledger), as their fearless "pool surfing" leads to fame, fortune -- and misfortune.

What happened to the real guys from Lords of Dogtown? ›

Closing cards reveal that Tony Alva went on to become skateboarding's first world champion and runs Alva Skates; Stacy Peralta started Powell Peralta, a modern popular skating company that included a 14-year-old Tony Hawk as part of its Bones Brigade team; and Jay, too, achieved the only kind of success at skating and ...

Is the real Jay Adams in Lords of Dogtown? ›

Jay Adams: The real Jay Adams, during the scene of the party at Jay Adams's mother's house. Tony Alva: The real Tony Alva is at the party in Jay Adams's house, telling his mother about Oregon. Skip Engblom: The real Skip Engblom appears as a race starter at the Seattle Event.

Was Skip from Lords of Dogtown real? ›

Skip Engblom: Surf and Skate Legend and Entrepreneur

The late Heath Ledger played surf and skate icon Skip Engblom in Lords Of Dogtown, the Hollywood adaptation of Stacy Peralta's documentary Dogtown And Z Boys, which chronicled the rise of modern skateboarding in 1970s Venice.

Who has died from Lords of Dogtown? ›

Legendary skateboarder Jay Adams, who was one of the edgy Z-Boys of the sport featured in the widely heralded 2001 documentary “Dogtown and Z-Boys” and portrayed in the 2005 film “Lords of Dogtown,” died Aug. 15 while on an extended surf vacation in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. He was 53.

How did Sid get hurt in Lords of Dogtown? ›

After a nasty spill off his skateboard, Sid pops a marijuana joint into his mouth. Later, he is stricken with brain cancer, and his nurse gives him what he says is doctor-prescribed marijuana.

Where was Lords of Dogtown filmed? ›

In Lords of Dogtown, they recreated the old Pacific Ocean Pier, which stood between Venice Beach and Santa Monica. The production team selected Imperial Beach Pier due to its wooden frame.

How old was Emile Hirsch in Lords of Dogtown? ›

Hirsch, 20, had chosen Mao's Kitchen because of its proximity to his home, and because it was ground zero for the new Catherine Hardwicke-Stacy Peralta film he stars in, "Lords of Dogtown." Based on Mr.

What happened to Jay Adams? ›

Adams died of a heart attack on August 15, 2014. A memorial funeral service was held in his honor at Venice Beach, California, on August 30, 2014. Surfers and skateboarders from across the country showed their respect by taking part in a traditional Hawaiian-style paddle-out tribute.

How much of Lords of Dogtown is real? ›

Lords of Dogtown is based on a true story, but takes liberties with how it really was. Characters who were deeply involved in the whole scene are left out entirely – Allen Sarlo, Nathan Pratt and Jeff Ho – and others are consolidated.

Who are the pro skaters in Lords of Dogtown? ›

This film charts the rise of the legendary "Z-Boys" of California: Tony Alva (Victor Rasuk), Stacy Peralta (John Robinson), and Jay Adams (Emile Hirsch).

Who are the real people from Dogtown? ›

By 1974, this group of teenagers also included Allen Sarlo, Jay Adams, Tony Alva, Chris Cahill, and Stacy Peralta. These surfers were notorious around Dogtown for being a rough-and-tumble crowd who dominated the surf. In the 1970s, surfing was a counterculture sport, frowned upon by much of mainstream society.

Is Jay Adams still alive? ›

Where was Dogtown and Z-Boys? ›

Considered the Founding Fathers of modern skateboarding, the Z-Boys were mostly a group of teenage surfers from the wrong side of the tracks in South Santa Monica and Venice in the 70's.

What is Tony Alva doing now? ›

Alva continues to do what he loves: skate, surf, and play music. He enjoys playing bass guitar with the band “His Eyes Have Fangs” and still working closely with his original sponsor, Vans. You can see his new board lines ALVA|SURFCRAFT and THE POWER STATION PROJECT you can find all of them online.

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