X
- 1989
- PG-13
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 1 h 45 m
- 1989
- PG-13
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 1 h 45 m
Summary Brian's adopted brother is killed when he discovers that the shop he works in sends weapons to Vietnam instead of medications. To the police it looks like suicide, but Brian knows better so he skates off to investigate the murder himself.
Directed By: Graeme Clifford
Written By: Michael Tolkin
- 1989
- PG-13
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 1 h 45 m
- 1989
- PG-13
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 1 h 45 m
Gleaming the Cube
40
User Score
Available after 4 ratings
tbd
Where to Watch
Summary Brian's adopted brother is killed when he discovers that the shop he works in sends weapons to Vietnam instead of medications. To the police it looks like suicide, but Brian knows better so he skates off to investigate the murder himself.
Directed By: Graeme Clifford
Written By: Michael Tolkin
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
40
10% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
70% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
20% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 10 Critic Reviews
40
10% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
70% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
20% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Director Graeme Clifford keeps the action going lickity-split and created a film worth a quick look. [17 Jan 1989, p.5D]
There's a genuine attempt in Gleaming the Cube to deal with the impact the loss of a brother has upon a likable, footloose teen-ager. Unfortunately, the conventions of the action-adventure/youth-flick genres prevail. The result is an exploitation picture with a little something extra--lots of awesome skateboard wizardry, culminating in a speed-of-lightning chase sequence, in which skateboards are pitted against cars.
Slater, who sounds as if he is trying to imitate Jack Nicholson, is the only character who has a shading of personality. His skateboarding buddies are funny, considering one needs a glossary to translate their dialog, while the Vietnamese are mostly sleazy cardboard figures.
With the screenplay dabbling with too many issues and stereotypes, the characters are largely one-dimensional and the relationships unconvincing.
Gleaming the Cube (the title refers to achieving the skateboarding equivalent of cosmic bliss) has an intrigue plot that is unremarkable, and it doesn't do anything terribly novel with the relationship between Brian and the policeman (Steven Bauer) who helps investigate the case. It becomes somewhat more interesting in exploring the Vietnamese community of Orange County, Calif., especially in its tinier details.
This would be a lot more amusing if at least one street in town ran uphill; maybe it's generational, but does even Corey Feldman know what the title means? [11 Aug 1989, p.3D]
Clifford can muster no interest in the cardboard characters or absurd plot developments, which leaves Gleaming the Cube to limp along listlessly between indifferently filmed skateboard demonstrations.
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