E-Mail This Article to a Friend FIRST DESCENT

110 MINUTES | [BOSTON COMMON + FENWAY + FRESH POND + CIRCLE/CHESTNUT HILL + SUBURBS]

Kemp Curly and Kevin Harrison direct their first documentary, a chronicle of five top snowboarders’ descents in uncharted Alaskan terrain punctuated by a snappy history of the sport. The MTV vets bring with them a fondness for aggrandizing the banal; no sooner do we meet our athletes than they acquire the character typologies of a Real World/Road Rules reunion. The past master set to relive old glories (Shawn Farmer), the spunky tomboy out to prove something to the boys (Hannah Teter), and the kooky foreigner with a heart of gold (Terje Haakonsen) — they’re all aboard. First Descent has a promotional video feel, and the blatant product placement of a certain soft drink undercuts the no doubt sincere interviewees who regret the sport’s commercialization. But as slick as the production values may be, there’s no denying the breathtaking beauty of the snowboarders’ craft and the vicarious rush one feels in watching them perform. An innocuous time killer for the uninitiated; fanatics will find it a gnarly run.