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WAITING FOR LIGHTNINGMovie Reviews
Documentary about skateboarder Danny Way, whose dream was to jump China's Great Wall. Cast:Crystal Ackley, Mike Blabc, Ken Block, Bod Boyle, Grant Brittain, Bob Burnquist, Tommy Caudill, Paul Chek, Adrian Demain, Steve Douglas, Rob Dyrdek, Ty Evans, Darryl Franklin, Bobby Goodsby, Julian HaggartDirector:Jacob RosenbergRelease Date:December 7, 2012DVD Release:March 5, 2013From:Samuel GoldwynRating:PG-13Length:1 hr. 20 min.
Waiting for Lightning played in limited release to fair reviews. • Bill Goodykoontz wrote in the Arizona Republic, "...lots of home-movie footage, adoring testimonials... the kind of thing we often see in biographical documentaries, a kind of 'Behind the Music' for the skateboard set..." More Reviews Below...
Waiting for Lightning Positive Reviews (13 Reviews, reviews below)
Waiting for Lightning has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (6 Reviews)
Jon Caramanica, New York Times: WEAK "If it's a god on a skateboard you want, a god on a skateboard you'll get in this hagiography... shot with yawning reverence... overly sympathetic..."(See all of Jon Caramanica's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 294 words, 12/07/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Colorful folks and cool stunts abound, but casual viewers may still utter a big 'Why?'.... Tony Hawk, Laird Hamilton and Rob Dyrdek weigh in for this wild ride."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 102 words, 12/07/12
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "Way himself isn't much of a presence... the movie is little more than an extended piece of lifestyle merchandising, a long montage for monitors in sporting-goods shops."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 262 words, 12/07/12
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "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 of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 65 words, 12/07/12
Pete Vonder Haar, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...boilerplate.... Jacob Rosenberg dutifully intercuts scenes of Way's preparation for the Great Wall jump with obligatory flashbacks to his early skateboarding years..."(See all of Pete Vonder Haar's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 277 words, 12/05/12
KEY CITIES (4 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "...watchable enough... only for the converted.... Sometimes you wait so long for lightning that the show itself is a little bit of a letdown."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 292 words, 12/07/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...lots of home-movie footage, adoring testimonials... the kind of thing we often see in biographical documentaries, a kind of 'Behind the Music' for the skateboard set..."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 447 words, 12/07/12
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...breezy, entertaining.... doesn't transcend its subject the way 'Exit Through the Gift Shop' transcends graffiti art. But if you like extreme sports, it is recommended."(See all of G. Allen Johnson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 89 words, 12/07/12
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: GOOD(cg) "...skateboarding documentaries are a dime a dozen, but this one offers something none of the standard compilations of tricks and spills can: The Great Wall of China."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 183 words, 12/07/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (3 Reviews)
Pete Vonder Haar, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...boilerplate.... Jacob Rosenberg dutifully intercuts scenes of Way's preparation for the Great Wall jump with obligatory flashbacks to his early skateboarding years..."(See all of Pete Vonder Haar's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 277 words, 12/05/12
Andrew Schenker, Slant: WEAK(cg) "...with the central figure almost never weighing in directly, the film's attempts to portray his story as an inspirational tale of triumph over adversity scarcely registers."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 487 words, 12/02/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Jon Caramanica, New York Times: WEAK "If it's a god on a skateboard you want, a god on a skateboard you'll get in this hagiography... shot with yawning reverence... overly sympathetic..."(See all of Jon Caramanica's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 294 words, 12/07/12
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "Way himself isn't much of a presence... the movie is little more than an extended piece of lifestyle merchandising, a long montage for monitors in sporting-goods shops."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 262 words, 12/07/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Joe Leydon, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...slickly produced, unabashedly celebratory.... Jacob Rosenberg traces Danny Way's rise from broken-home survivor to international celebrity..."(See all of Joe Leydon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 190 words, 04/01/12
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...essentially promotional... the film certainly presents Danny Way's high-flying escapades in all their thrilling glory..."(See all of Frank Scheck's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 395 words, 12/07/12
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "Way himself isn't much of a presence... the movie is little more than an extended piece of lifestyle merchandising, a long montage for monitors in sporting-goods shops."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 262 words, 12/07/12
Jon Caramanica, New York Times: WEAK "If it's a god on a skateboard you want, a god on a skateboard you'll get in this hagiography... shot with yawning reverence... overly sympathetic..."(See all of Jon Caramanica's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 294 words, 12/07/12
12.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Waiting for Lightning's reviews are separated by an average 12.1 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Waiting for Lightning (13 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Waiting for Lightning's reviews cover 13.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 3,360 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 258 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 8 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Waiting for Lightning's reviews on average broke 8 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Waiting for Lightning's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Waiting for Lightning (13 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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