Seen on: June 14, 2009

The players: Director: Chris Zamoscianyk, Writers: Elisa Delson, Rob Dyrdek, Nino Scalia, Cast: Rob Dyrdek, Paul Rodriguez Jr., Ryan Sheckler, Compton Ass Terry, Ryan Dunn

Facts of interest: None.

The plot: A young skater heads to Tampa to compete in an amateur skating competition.

Our thoughts: Chris Zamoscianyk’s “Street Dreams” is certainly not the only skate movie out there, but the film still manages to be mildly entertaining, despite a rather predictable plot and overall bad acting. The flick’s target audience of young, passionate skaters may appreciate its thematic, but others may see it as a waste of time.

Now, how did I feel about it? As someone who’s not really into skateboarding but who loves the art of filmmaking, I admit “Street Dreams” didn’t impress me as much as I originally thought. I was expecting something innovative and surprising, but in the end, what I saw on the big screen was just a tad too familiar for my taste.

Paul Rodriguez Jr. stars as lead character Derreck, a determined skater who skips school to spend as much time as possible on his board. His parents, of course, do not agree with his lifestyle, but Derreck couldn’t care less. He knows he’s got what it takes to become a pro skater, and he sure stops at nothing to get his name out there.

The main story line of “Street Dreams” makes a few interesting points about a young skater’s dream to go pro, but sadly enough, that’s about as thrilling as it gets. The remainder of the plot is underdeveloped, and neither Derreck’s conflict with his parents, nor his rivalry with one of his pals is in any way engaging enough to follow.

The film’s skating scenes are more exciting to watch than the rest, and Zamoscianyk certainly knows what he’s doing when it comes to capturing the intense tricks of this talented skaters. Consequently, it’s not surprising that the most vibrant sequence in “Street Dreams” is the final showdown at an amateur skating competition.

Most of the guys you see on the screen are professional skateboarders, and while they succeed at delivering several impressive stunts, they fail to score solid acting performances. Neither Rodriguez Jr., nor Rob Dyrdek or Ryan Dunn seem all that comfortable doing scripted work, and it shows.

Freaky quote: "I'm not throwing anything away." – Paul Rodriguez Jr.

The final word: Despite all the film’s flaws, “Street Dreams” is not really a boring film. Its story couldn’t be more simplistic, but its fast-paced plot, solid soundtrack and edgy editing turn it into a halfway decent indie skate flick some youngsters out there may be able to identify with.

Article by Franck Tabouring