'Descent' falls fast, hard as sports film

From: Deseret News (Salt Lake City) | Date: December 2, 2005| Author: | Copyright information

FIRST DESCENT -- ** 1/2 -- Documentary feature about snowboarding; rated PG-13 (violence, profanity, vulgarity, brief drugs).

"First Descent" clearly wants to be the definitive documentary for its particular sport -- snowboarding. Much the same as "Dogtown and Z- Boys" was for skateboarding in 2001 and "The Endless Summer" was for surfing in 1966.

Unfortunately, "First Descent" isn't nearly as smart or enthralling as either of those films. Running nearly two full hours, it's much too long for those who aren't completely into the sport. And even those who are will wish for the interviewees and ...

Read all of this article with a FREE trial to HighBeam Research

Related newspaper, magazine, and trade journal articles from HighBeam Research

(Including press releases, facts, information, and biographies)

'Descent': Only the Snow Has Any Depth
; ...behind "First Descent," have created...overblown defense of a sport that, while ushering...interviews about the sport's history and...doubt value "First Descent" for the chance...To use the sport's own lingua franca, "First Descent" just isn't sick...
IMPERFECT "DESCENT' AIMS TO HYPE SPORT.(CNY)
; ...footage, and First Descent has its share, including...takes them and their sport deadly seriously...changed the face of sport as we know it. We...with itself, First Descent is a long way from...snowboarding as a sport. It immortalizes...inverted in First Descent, a sports ...
First Descent; Snow Blind
; ...the best and worst reason to see First Descent, a handsome, big-budget documentary...viable theme. At nearly two hours, First Descent has everything you'd need for a diverting...Kemp Curly and Kevin Harrison, First Descent (subtitled "The Story of the Snowboarding...Rollins narration informs us that the ...
"FIRST DESCENT".(Weekend)
; No sport is being left unexplored by Hollywood...and center in the documentary First Descent. A group of five of the sport's pioneers travel to Alaska's mountains...movement. THE DETAILS WHAT: First Descent. WHERE: Carousel. RATING: PG-13 for...
'Descent's' Slippery Slope
; "First Descent" follows five champion snowboarders as...boarding. Like skateboarding and surfing, the sport has its revered heroes and bright, young...aficionados will no doubt value "First Descent" for the chance to see some highly accomplished...
First Descent
; First Descent The snowboarding documentary First Descent echoes Stacy Peralta's brilliant doc Riding Giants, in...wherein Canadian Ross Rebagliati very nearly lost the sport's very first Olympic gold medal after testing positive...powder-happy wag. Much is made about how snowboarding is a sport in ...
`FIRST DESCENT' IS A PUFF PIECE, BUT SNOWBOARDERS WILL FLIP FOR IT
; ...film about snowboarding. "First Descent" happily cheerleads for the sport, which became an Olympic event...annoy a lot of skiers. "First Descent" charts snowboarding's rebellion-fuel...snowboarding performed by five of the sport's best: pioneers Shawn Farmer...
Yearning to fly Big-mountain snowboarders push the limits in so-so 'Descent'.(Spotlight)(Movie Review)
; ...background on the extreme sport, which seems to evolve out...Well and good, but First Descent suffers from the same problem...boarder and pioneer of the sport who still tries to keep up...sense of why he's one of the sport's major stars. As documentaries...extreme sports go, First Descent ...
DIRECTOR DELVES INTO 'DESCENT' A LA 'DELIVERANCE' AND 'DOG SOLDIERS'
; PARK CITY, Utah -- The sport of caving looked terrifying...wondered. The answer lies in The Descent, an award-winning horror film...in theaters nationwide. The Descent made its U.S. premiere in January...the festival audience. The Descent follows six friends on a caving...
Richard Bullick's view: Sometimes in life sport provides escapism.(Sport)
; ...commemorations. But, longer term, life must go on and that includes sport. We have been reminded again that sport only matters so much, but it does create communities in...fantastic rugby forum in a part of the world where the sport is virtually treated as a religion. But this week many...admittedly not ...