Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Docu best for skaters and video game fans; some cursing.
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Pretending I'm a Superman: The Tony Hawk Video Game Story
What's the Story?
In PRETENDING I'M A SUPERMAN: THE TONY HAWK VIDEO GAME STORY, Tony Hawk, pro skaters, and game designers discuss the history and impact of the popular and iconic turn-of-the-century game franchise. The documentary provides the necessary context by showing the growth and development of skateboarding culture since the 1970s, its ups and downs, and how Tony Hawk Pro Skater (and its many sequels) was intended to be a reflection of that culture. Tony Hawk, a marketable and accessible representative of this culture in light of his appearances on ESPN's X-Games, worked with the video game designers as well as other professional skateboarders to create a video game that could be enjoyed by nonskaters while also remaining true to the ethos and sensibility of skateboarding culture. Contemporary pro skaters reflect on how Tony Hawk Pro Skater inspired them to put down the controller and learn how to ride a skateboard in the real world as Hawk and everyone involved discuss the lasting impact the franchise has had on skating and video games.
Is It Any Good?
For those who grew up playing any of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater video games, this documentary will bring back warm, fuzzy memories. The parks, the streets, the tricks, the music. It's millennial nostalgia for an era that tends to provoke anti-nostalgia. It succinctly presents the history of the ups and downs of skateboarding culture since the 1970s, and how that culture developed and was then taken to new heights by Tony Hawk Pro Skater. It also connects the rise of the franchise to the growth and development of video games.
That said, it can get pretty dry at times, and the documentary's shortish length implies that there's only so much you can do with a story about a video game, no matter how beloved it may be. It also doesn't transcend either skateboarding or video game culture, so it's difficult to imagine anyone not already familiar with either to find any of this particularly interesting. But for those who grew up learning about bands like The Adolescents and Bad Religion from Tony Hawk Pro Skater, and learned about the difference between a nosegrab and a nosegrind from playing the game, it's an entertaining railslide down memory lane.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how documentaries tell stories. How does Pretending I'm a Superman: The Tony Hawk Video Game Story tie skateboarding culture as a whole into the development of the Tony Hawk video game franchise?
Do you think this documentary could be interesting for viewers who didn't grow up riding skateboards and/or playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater? Why or why not?
How does this compare to other documentaries you've seen? What makes a documentary memorable?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : August 18, 2020
- Cast : Tony Hawk , Rodney Mullen , Steve Caballero
- Director : Ludvig Gür
- Studio : Wood Entertainment
- Genre : Documentary
- Run time : 72 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 30, 2020
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