Waiting for Lightning
Waiting for Lightning Image
Metascore
45 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 12 Critics What's this?

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  • Summary: Waiting for Lightning is the inspirational story of visionary skateboarder Danny Way. The film follows the journey of a young boy from a broken home in Vista, CA, whose passion for skateboarding would one day bring him fame and a lifetime of accomplishments. Way's drive has no limits as exemplified by his creation captured on screen, a ramp of prodigious and dangerous proportions, across many cultural and ideological boundaries to attempt the impossible: jump China's Great Wall on a skateboard. It's a film about how much abuse the body can sustain, how deep you have to dig to survive the challenges life presents, and how high and far dreams can fly. Danny Way has not only proven himself to be an incredibly talented skateboarder but also the sport's greatest innovator. In his quest for greatness, Way continues to shape the very sport which helped save his own life. (Samuel Goldwyn Films)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 12
  3. Negative: 2 out of 12
  1. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Marc Mohan
    Dec 6, 2012
    67
    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.
  2. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Joe Neumaier
    Dec 6, 2012
    60
    Colorful folks and cool stunts abound, but casual viewers may still utter a big "Why?"
  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    Dec 7, 2012
    38
    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.

See all 12 Critic Reviews

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  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. MarcDoyle
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The critics who diminished this film because they didn't hear enough from Danny are selling the film short. I've seen just about all the recent films in this genre (Dogtown and Z-Boys, Riding Giants, Step into Liquid, etc.), and I think this one is highly inspirational in its own right. You hear enough from Danny to understand his motivations. And we hear so much from celebrities and athletes today (interviews, social media), it's almost refreshing to see a guy who lets his performances and his grace speak for him. The tragic losses of Danny's male role models definitely help mold who he is, for better or for worse, but he's an incredible role model for what hard work and persistence can do for you. For a guy who is afraid of heights to do what he does is really unthinkable. Good for DC for making the film happen, and I realize it's the nature of the beast, but the entire film had a Quicksilver/DC Shoes imprint on it which is a bit unusual for a feature film - and it detracted from my enjoyment, but only slightly. It was great seeing Rob Dyrdek and Ken Block supporting Danny on the Great Wall jump. And doing that jump for a second ("third") time on the big day for "personal satisfaction" is just the icing on the cake. It's what true artists and competitors in this game do. For fans of skating, this is a must-see.… Expand

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