Review: 'X-Games 3D' more a commercial than a movie

"The X-Games," Disney subsidiary ESPN's expo of free-style skateboarding, snowboarding, motocross and closed-course car road rallies, makes a dandy proving ground for 3-D film. The depth of field, the skateboards flying into your face and dirt kicked off the screen is novel and actually helps you see all the way-cool stuff these stuntmen-by-another-name do as they "create new ways to fly."

As a movie, though, "X-Games 3D: The Movie" isn't a movie at all. It's a 90-minute commercial for the games, lacking much in the line of drama, compelling characters or story line.

The thrills here are in the stuff guys like Kyle Loza do when they snap on their helmet and say, "I gotta go try to kill myself." Bones are broken -- none graphically -- and wiseacre commentators make cracks like "He's a human lawn dart" after a bad landing.

But aside from the 3D, this commercial screams "DVD." Fans who ignore the "don't try this at home" warnings will want to catch that slo-mo flip or spin over and over again. Even the most extreme theaters don't have provisions for that.