Rize
Lions Gate Films | Release Date: June 24, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
26
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
New York Magazine (Vulture)Ken Tucker
Stunning, explosively moving. Read full review
90
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Bursting with joy and throbbing with music, Rize has a tragic dimension too. When you see the clown cry, you'll be with him all the way.
88
New York PostKyle Smith
If the director had more gospel and less blues in him, it might have brought him closer to really understanding these talents. Still, I can't wait for "Rize 2: Electric Boogaloo." Read full review
88
Boston GlobeTy Burr
There's a delicate balance here between expression and belligerence. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
As long as it showcases the art of krump, underscoring the dancers with ominous hip-hop beats, Rize is such a vibrant eruption of motion and attitude that you can forgive the film for being disorganized and too skimpy on street-dance history. Read full review
80
Film ThreatBob Westal
It's the speed and intensity that makes the dance style remarkable. Read full review
80
VarietyRobert Koehler
Eye-popping lensing and an appreciation of social complexities combine for an entirely satisfying experience. Read full review
80
Dallas ObserverLuke Y. Thompson
Fashion photographer David LaChapelle expands upon his award-winning short film "Krumped," introducing us to the new dance forms popular in South Central Los Angeles via the charismatic "ghetto celebrity" known as Tommy the Clown. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyErnest Hardy
The film soars when the camera is trained on its young subjects in action. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
José Cancella's original score complement the tremendous wit, vitality and sensuality of the dancers. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterSheri Linden
Word-of-mouth should make it one of the best-performing nonfiction films of the year. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter Travers
There's no way to take your eyes off it. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldPeter Debruge
The result is an eye-opening social portrait in the tradition of "Paris Is Burning," the landmark 1990 documentary that introduced drag balls and ''vogueing'' to the mainstream, but it lacks the earlier film's structure and focus. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Rize shows how clowning led to krumping, and argues that its practitioners' fierce dedication to dance has saved countless kids from drugs, crime and gangs. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneSid Smith
A compelling, bittersweet hybrid of a movie. Read full review
75
USA TodayClaudia Puig
A touching story of hope, vitality and art rising from the bleakest conditions. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Exhilarating. Read full review
75
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
It's the pushiest film around - "in your face" is still in-your-face, even if the dancers are in white-face. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The most remarkable thing about Rize is that it is real. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
Riveting. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
The Clowns and the Krumpers have a rivalry that parallels the Bloods and the Crips battle for the neighbourhood, but fought out in moves, not bullets. Read full review
70
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
Rize eventually gets a little preachy and sentimental, but a little sermonizing seems a small price to pay for such an industrial jolt of kinetic electricity. Read full review
70
Village VoiceEd Halter
Highly entertaining but underdeveloped documentary. Read full review
70
Washington PostClare Croft
Worth seeing both for its visual beauty and its insight into a little-known form Read full review
70
The New York TimesDana Stevens
Indeed, the movie sometimes has trouble living up to the richness of its subject, or keeping up with the dances' rapid spread and evolution. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
With a running time of only 84 minutes, Rize frequently feels padded. However, there’s no denying the fascination of watching these bodies in motion, and perhaps the ascendency of a new, American-born art form. Read full review
60
EmpireDorian Lynesky
For all its flaws, it's thrilling viewing whenever LaChapelle opts to show rather than tell. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Emotionally charged but not entirely honest documentary. Read full review
50
Seattle Post-IntelligencerBill White
Although entertaining, Rize is a somewhat duplicitous undertaking. Read full review
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