Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator
Palm Pictures | Release Date: August 22, 2003 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Critic Reviews
Positive:
20
Mixed:
4
Negative:
1

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
It's a classic rags-to-riches-to-rage tale about the fatal nexus of celebrity and market forces, a story that is unexpectedly poignant even though it's told to an insistent punk rock beat. Read full review
80
Village VoiceEd Halter
Serves up a gripping look at skate history through an investigation of one of its darker moments. Read full review
80
VarietyScott Foundas
It's a pungent study of fads, trends and the way everything once genuine ends up being homogenized and exploited beyond recognition by corporate America -- a fine companion piece to Stacy Peralta's "Dogtown and Z-Boys," but with a more raw, punkish aesthetic. Read full review
80
Film ThreatK.J. Doughton
A mesmerizing documentary that shows the vulnerability -– and brutality -– that emerge when one is showered in recognition, only to have such fame pulled out from under him. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
An exhilarating and terrifying journey through youth-culture hell. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
With its compelling central character and colorful milieu, the film comes across as a combination of Greek tragedy and "Behind the Music." Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Skateboarding is not a crime, but the subject of this exhaustive documentary... is very much a criminal. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
Stoked supplies a unique perspective on the hazards of rock-star fame that went with the sport's explosion for a band of rebels who didn't see it coming -- or going. Read full review
75
New York PostMegan Lehmann
Paints a picture of a young man enamored of his own image. His enormous success turned the ever-cocky Gator egomaniacal -- and abusive. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Had ''Boogie Nights'' been the tale of a California dreamer with a really long skateboard, the movie's delirious first half would have been ''Dogtown and Z-Boys,'' and its downbeat conclusion would be Stoked. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy Burr
A tale of narrow talent destroyed by pop hubris, raging insecurity, substance abuse, and murder. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneAllison Benedikt
Rogowski's transition from youth-culture poster boy to murderer demands deeper analysis. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
Engrossing and unusual. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyScott Foundas
Stickler goes straight to the source, combining terrific archival footage with interviews of Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta and others who knew Rogowski back in the day. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
It's an old story, but at a time when high-school-aged athletes are wooed away from real-life with staggering, multi-million dollar endorsement deals, it's one that bears repeating. Read full review
70
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
An absorbing and meticulous piece of reportage. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
A skillfully organized account of Mr. Rogowski's life and of the sport's boom period. But despite the earnest testimony of two former girlfriends, the movie maintains a chilly distance from its subject. Read full review
70
Dallas ObserverLuke Y. Thompson
For strict action and a heftier soundtrack, “Dogtown” is king, but for audiences craving a story with their stunts, it's time to get Stoked. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerBill White
This limited point of view, while effective in chronicling Gator's rise, is dreadfully inefficient in contextualizing his fall. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
Even when sketched in broad terms, Rogowski's downward spiral makes for compelling viewing, and to her credit, director Stickler never romanticizes her subject. Read full review
60
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Sad, sobering film. Read full review
60
EmpireColin Kennedy
Perhaps it was not intended to serve as a sequel to the fabulous "Dogtown And Z-Boys," but Helen Stickler's documentary does pick up where Stacey Peralta left off, following skateboarding into the '80s boom. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
Even at 82 minutes, Stoked gets repetitious, with too much time spent on the rise and not enough on the fall. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Leah McLaren
By the end of the Stoked, the viewer is left with a lot of trivia about the history of skateboarding, and scant insight. Read full review
30
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Gator never emerges as anything but a blatant and outspoken -- and virulently brutal -- jerk. Read full review
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