Replying to Such is Life. Review

Review for the new 2008 film from Rage: Such is life.



The Intro is pretty sweet.  Rocking out to Citizen Cope, with slow moving, bright shots and creative, simple methods to showcase the sponsors, locations, and some sick skiing on the side. They throw on a cool looking theme with some editing tricks to give it the unique look of an intro, and prepare you for the rest of the movie. Well done.

Segments start off with Ian Cosco hitting up urban in Quebec. He shows off his abilities with some switchups one some pretty ill kinks, some creative wallrides, and bombdrops all over the place. This is quickly followed by some fun in Utah BC, and his showing off of his very bizzare looking hairdo. They then head off to Mt. Shasta in California and hit a sick rail-jump thing that is awesome, and featured many times in the movie. This leads into more powder skiing, with ian making good use of his sled on the side. Overall, a sick, and fairly long segment showcasing Ian's skills in everything from pow jibbing to his excellence in the urban arena. He returns again in the film to show off some more of his skills later.

Mike Mertion then comes into the fray, after stomping a HUUUGE double back to FLAT."amazing" is how they put it. After a lot of "Lalalalalala's", this segment continues to introduce us to Mike's sick skills at hitting huge park booters at stevens pass, and squaw valley. After some urban shots of some sick rail hits, they return to California to rip up Mt. Shasta's park where he hits some of the same stuff Cosco had previously hit up, including a huuuuge tree jib that is really sick, and should be featured more in this film than it was. He finishes off to some night pipe riding, and some jibbing in the Mt. Batchlor park.

Now for a short part featuring Matt Margett, who continues hitting Batchlor's park, and then heads off to Squaw's jump. again. They finish up with some Utah BC hits.

"You want to know what Alaska is? It's a cliff with snow on it... HOLY SHIT!"
Incoming is Coldy Townsend, clad in all purple. He shows off some of his sick big mountain skills, throwing 3's off huge stuff, and launching off of untamed cliffs in the AK. He smashes through some trees and hucks some sick stuff on the BC. The seg finishes it up by packing up the sleds and going home. Pretty sweet segment to open up some of the really sweet big mountian stuff thats featured in this film.

Now off we head to Japan, where we meet up with Mati Imbert. Smashing through some snow covered bonzai trees or whatever you call them, Mati smashes through the light, untamed Japanese trees, and gives you yet another reason to head off to Tokyo ASAP. Richard Permin joins in with some of the same skiing that we just saw mati shred. The music in this part is fluid really sets a cool tone for the entire segment. Permin finishes it off with some booters into the pow.

Now for a short part from Dylan Natale and Kyler Cooley. They make like the USA basketball team during the olympics, allyooping and slamming it down. Pretty sick, and creative segment. Basketball hoops, and snow just go together remarkably well for whatever reason. The abundance of NBA  jerseys doesnt hurt...

Now into the heli, for some more Alaskan destruction. Some sick shots of mountains open the part for Jessica Sobolowski and Jamie Burge to show that Ingrid isnt the only chick that can flat hang with the boys in the big mountain scene. In fact, Jamie Burge is so good, you wouldnt even guess that she's a chick. at all, much less, that shes 5'1, and rides 193's. I almost busted a nut. You ladies that like the big mountain scene NEED to watch this part, because they absolutely nail it.

Now for some more jibbing, as Gus Kenworthy comes in like James Bond in some pink pants and a tall T, and LJ Strenio uses his dildo bindings  and his skis as a laser gun...

LJ starts off by hitting up Batchlor.. hard.. hitting the big jumps and a few of the sick rails that we have previously seen in the Cosco and Mertion segs. This leads to some sick urban hits, including a ridiculous misty over a double chain link fence thing, quickly followed by a really uneven square rail out 270 that would make your hips quake in fear. They head to Squaw and LJ throws down some sick 9's on the money booter, and finishes up hitting one of the huge barrel jibs they set up at Squaw last season. Gus Kenworthy enters, and hits up some more of the same jibs we saw Cosco and Mertion hit up to start the movie in Batchlor, and Mt. Shasta. He finishes off with some pretty sick rail transfers on a unique feature that everyone would love to hit.

Surface's Jordan Sheldin now shows up in a TJ Schnider Sessions suit from a year back that... needless to say.. catches your eye. He slays some BC, and some roofs with some sick, grabs and style. Kyler Cooley teams up with Jordan and then play  the sled and participate in some debachary. they hit this really sick feature on this pile of big underground pipes that looks mad fun.

Nico Zacek now enters and comes running full speed at us through a giant puddle in some moon boots or something.. He shows off his abilities by throwing some HUUGE hits off the US freeskiing open jump. He finishes off with some more powder skiing, and some urban jibs.

Now off to Japan again, but with Ian Cosco along for the ride. He shows off some more powder footage and more of the semi-urban jibbing that is typically seen in Japan segments. His part then appropriately leads to Ashley Battersby's part. She skis some trees, and has fun on the same little features that we just saw Cosco hit. They both head back to Quebec for some urban that proves Ashley is really solid on urban rails.

Richard Permin returns in a Heli, and dives off some cliffs. He jumps this really sketchy frozen watterfal that you expect him to die on, and he recovers pretty sick while riding his tails. Every time he hits something, early in this segment, it seems like hes going to totally lose it when he initially lands, but apparently he is invincible, as he keeps pulling himself right back up. Now to the park at Mt Shasta again where Richard hits the same stuff we've already seen. By now Mt. Shasta is starting to get a bit played, regardless of how sick the jumps and jibs they have set up there. He then heads back to the powder for some more big BC jibbing. He launches a huge double backflip off a small, snow covered, utility road to end it.

Shane Carmichael enters now on a sled, and begins a segment with some more big mountain shredding. He hucks some big cliffs. Ryan Oakden follows him up with a pretty sick 5, and a backy off a cliff, as well as more straight big mountain cliff hucking. Shane takes a sled off of a cliff, and Evan Wilcox tomahawks about 40 times after a bad landing. He hits one more line going mach 10 speed. Free Quinn? (who names their kid Free?) adds a couple more lines, and Jonas Delonge finishes it off with a couple more cliff hucks.

Mark Dvorak now comes in and hits up some BC booters, and the jumps and park rails at Mt. Batchlor. He starts hitting an enourmous jump at Stevens Pass. Bobby Brown joins him with some sick doubles. They team up with some synchronized, 2 person tree jibs that are really really sick (again, should have been used a few more times in the movie) and more tree skiing in deep pow. This part continues the trend of sick camera movmement throughout.



Now we head up to Seaba, in Alaska, where Tom Wayes, Corey Felton, Lyndsay Dyer, and  Elyse Saugstad, all get in some more big mountain turns, and huck off more cliffs.

Kyler Cooley now shows up at Jackson Hole and slays some more big booters and blinds the camera in some really deep powder.

David Lesh now makes his enterance in a pretty cool segment. It starts off with some timelapse train station shots, and leads to some mashing through a couple of sick treelines. He throws off some big BC booters and hits some  midwest urban kinks and a big S rail.

Dylan Natale returns, and wins the chance to guineapig. He throws a pretty large 7 off a cliff. He hits up some more at Mt. Shasta with some really sick skiing, and finishes off with some more BC stuff in Utah.

AJ Burton now enters along with Derek spong. after some sick BC, and powder blasting in the trees, they head out to California for some more really sick skiing in the Squaw and Shasta parks.

Kyler cooley finishes off the movie with music from Crystal Castles. He showcases some more really sick off axis stuff on cliffs. Kyler is so in control during the segment, as well as everywhere else in the movie on everything he does. He finishes up with some night urban, and more wallrides.

The Outro ends the movie, with some trains performed by all the guys at Squaw, and Shasta, some debachery, and all the typical fuckups.



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Dan Norkunas did a pretty good job with the content in this movie, and it's long length, and bonus footage does give it plenty of replay value, especially when chillin and drinkin with the buddies. The skiing isnt the most inspiring thing in the world, and none of the skiers are quite as well known as those found in Level 1, MSP, and PBP flicks. They do a pretty good job with what they had, getting a couple of shots that make you say "what" and "uhhh", but not quite on the same Level as what you see in Turbo, or Reasons. The overall use of lighting and colour was nice though. Very attractive shot selection, with unique angles, and a few really cool features. This movie appeases everybody with sick big mountain, and plenty of park shoots. The music was pretty good. You cant really go wrong with Living Legends, and Citizen Cope. Some of the music I have never heard before was really pretty cool, and all of it flowed remarkably well with the movie. Not dissapointing whatsoever.

Overall, this movie is pretty sick, but perhaps a little bit of a downgrade from some of the other pro flicks. Lots of really sick shots were involved, but the repetition of locations, and shots was a bit odd. They spent the majority of the time ripping up lines in AK, and hitting park at Batchlor, Mt. Shasta, and Squaw Valley. Granted, all three of said western locations do deserve the credit they are given in this film. They do offer some pretty sick stuff, although, I really wished they would have hit up a few more features at each place, or at least had some more shot angles, and not divided up every single park segment that contained similar shots all around the movie. I also think that they slowed the movie down quite a bit too much with editing. Every other shot is in Slomo, and it does become a bit repetetive with style. They might have tried a little bit too hard to make the movie 60 mins long. I truely think if they had a few less slowmo shots, it would have made the action a bit more exciting. They could have made it about 45 mins long instead of an hour, and the film might have been a bit better, but slow motion was definitely part of the theme in this movie. There is plenty of bonus footage to keep you interested for a while, as well. I havent actually gotten through much of that, but they do have some more footage from Squaw Valley, and Alaska for sure.

I enjoyed this movie for sure, but it wasnt quite as intense, or incredible as some of the other flicks out this season. If you want something really chill and relaxed though, this movie is well worth the money.

8.5/10