Synopsis
An Orange County teenager's carefree life of ditching class and skateboarding abandoned pools comes to a screeching halt when someone close to him dies. The cops rule the death a suicide, but the bereaved skater believes he was murdered. It's up to him to solve the case, with a skateboard.
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Cast
- Christian SlaterBrian Kelly
- Steven BauerAl Lucero
- Richard HerdEd Lawndale
- Ed LauterMr. Kelly
- Le TuanColonel Trac
- Peter KwongBobby Nguyen
- Charles CyphersHarvey McGill
- Micole MercurioMrs. Kelly
- Min LuongTina Trac
- Art ChudabalaVinh Kelly
Recommendations
- 63
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Director Graeme Clifford keeps the action going lickity-split and created a film worth a quick look. [17 Jan 1989, p.5D] - 60
Los Angeles Times
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. - 60
TV Guide Magazine
The plot of Gleaming the Cube is far from original, but the skateboarding sequences are exhilarating and add a great deal of excitement to otherwise routine material. - 50
The New York Times
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. - 50
Time Out
With the screenplay dabbling with too many issues and stereotypes, the characters are largely one-dimensional and the relationships unconvincing. - 50
Washington Post
A slight skateboard thriller that looks more like one of those Afterschool Specials on television than a bona fide feature film. - 50
Variety
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. - 40
Empire
Performances, plot and landings are nailed down, but there's not enough invention here for the film to achieve cult status.
