SKATE OR DIE
A bit of a double-edged sword of a title for me. At first it inspires rabid nostalgia, for it was also the name of a peerless 1990s Nintendo Entertainment System skateboarding game, though sadly, on further research it was discovered that the film has nothing to do with the computer game. But then conversely, it is possibly the worst ever title for a skateboarding action film I have ever encountered- it is so obvious as to be vulgar. Had the film been a more avant-garde, philosophical look at skateboarding subcultures on the fringes of modern urban living, it might have struck with more resonance as a singular morality for the skaters’ very existence. But it actually means skate or you’ll die at the hands of some angry drug-dealer types. Poor. At first, and after all that titular excitement, I thought this French action film was just another attempt to make a legitimate film that incorporated urban sports and marginal identities (basically a mainstream skater and stoner flick) that would be accepted by mainstream film viewers. Par Kor, or Free Running had already made a lasting impression on the big screen, thanks to an insanely well-timed association with ‘Casino Royale’ (and a million other copycats), so why couldn’t skateboarding have another shot at the big time? And why couldn’t it be more than just a side-idea, like its contemporary urban sport competitor had been for Bond? DOWNLOAD MOVIE