Waiting for Lightning
Samuel Goldwyn Films | Release Date: December 7, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
45
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
1
Mixed:
9
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
67
Portland OregonianMarc MohanDec 6, 2012
The line between fearlessness and idiocy can be a thin one, especially in this sport, and the doc never gets too far under Way's skin. But when he soars -- on a skateboard! -- above the massive structure that kept invading armies at bay for centuries, it's pretty darn cool. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierDec 6, 2012
Colorful folks and cool stunts abound, but casual viewers may still utter a big "Why?" Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesMark OlsenDec 7, 2012
Unfortunately, the athlete himself simply isn't much of a presence in this documentary, even as the film aims to celebrate him. Read full review
50
The New York TimesJon CaramanicaDec 7, 2012
In this overly sympathetic film he's a superhero without feelings, curiously bloodless except for the moment just before the China jump, when his mother presents him with his stepfather's ashes for inspiration. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonDec 6, 2012
It's enjoyable enough, but how much you like it will depend on how much you like skateboarding and extreme sports. Read full review
50
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanDec 6, 2012
There's more waiting than lightning in Waiting for Lightning, a nonetheless watchable-enough documentary about the preparations leading up to professional skateboarder Danny Way's historic 2005 attempt to sail over the Great Wall of China on a skateboard. Read full review
50
Village VoicePete Vonder HaarDec 4, 2012
Unfortunately, as the extensive footage of kick flips, fakies, and grinders goes from thrilling to routine, we're left waiting - and wanting - for Rosenberg to offer something more substantial than another "big air." Read full review
50
VarietyJoe LeydonDec 2, 2012
A slickly produced, unabashedly celebratory picture about professional skateboarder Danny Way. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckDec 7, 2012
Eventually, though, Waiting For Lightning suffers greatly from the absence of Way himself. Read full review
40
Time OutNick SchagerDec 4, 2012
Director Jacob Rosenberg's approach is heavy with archival footage and interviews, yet oddly features almost nothing from Way himself; his puzzling absence for most of the film turns the project into less of a biography than a one-note hagiography. Read full review
38
New York PostV.A. MusettoDec 7, 2012
Director Jacob Rosenberg makes heavy use of family photos and talking heads, but the person we want most to hear from, Way himself, is largely missing. Go figure. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineAndrew SchenkerDec 2, 2012
With Danny Way almost never weighing in directly, the film's attempts to portray his story as an inspirational tale of triumph over adversity scarcely registers. Read full review
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