51
Metascore
22 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyFirst Descent is not as eloquent, and thus not as electrifying, as Stacy Peralta's "Dogtown and Z-Boys" or "Riding Giants," the two jock docs it's clearly modeled after. No matter: Visually, MD Films offers up a sugar rush.
- 75Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneVisually, this is one of the most arresting sports documentaries in years, and it doesn't skimp on the visceral thrills, either.
- 75Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter RainerThe hardy fools - I mean, visionary pioneers - in this movie are so gravity-defying that I had to look at the press notes afterward just to make sure no computerized special effects were used.
- 63USA TodayMike ClarkUSA TodayMike ClarkBecause snowboarding is younger than skateboarding and surfing, Descent lacks the poignancy of past surfer/skateboarder portraits that have shown participants reaching middle age.
- The Alaskan runs are often spectacular, resembling nothing so much as a controlled plummet down an avalanche. All of which is worth the price of admission if "stoked" is a regular part of your vocabulary.
- 40Dallas ObserverLuke Y. ThompsonDallas ObserverLuke Y. ThompsonIt's dull enough to make a Mormon fidget.
- 40VarietyRobert KoehlerVarietyRobert KoehlerPic displays filmmakers Kevin Harrison's and Kemp Curley's love of snowboarding, but suffers from an unjustifiably long running time, considerable repetition and a generally awkward structure.
- 38Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertBoring, repetitive and maddening about a subject you'd think would be fairly interesting: snowboarding down a mountain.
- 30L.A. WeeklyL.A. WeeklyHardcore fans will appreciate the handful of genuinely gnarly aerial sequences, but these gravity-defying stunts, which can be thrilling as part of a five-minute James Bond pre-credit sequence, grow very tedious when repeated over almost two hours.
- 30Washington PostAnn HornadayWashington PostAnn HornadayThe stars of First Descent aren't particularly memorable, or even likable. At their worst, they come off as cocky, self-absorbed Peter Pans; at their best, they're sweet but shallow.