The Mighty Ducks

 Review

Common Sense Media says

A light-hearted classic kids' sports movie.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this film is about a rather violent, expensive sport -- hockey. The possibility of injury is addressed, though not in a way that conveys the risk of playing this sport. Drunk driving leads to arrest and community service; however, that community service ends up being a rewarding experience, so the seriousness of drunk driving may fall by the wayside.


What's the story?

THE MIGHTY DUCKS tells the familiar story of an underdog sports team's rise from the bottom. Gordon Bombay's (Emilio Estevez) fast-lane life as a cutthroat attorney takes a turn for the worse when he's arrested for drunk driving. As part of his community service sentence, Gordon must coach a hockey team comprised of rag-tag neighborhood kids. Though he carries the guilt of a hockey failure and his father's death with him, Gordon, with the help of his team, is able to face his demons, and his old overbearing coach. In the process, the Mighty Ducks, as they come to be called, learn to work together and accept those different from them.


Is it any good?

 

The Mighty Ducks is a fun and frothy family film. The pressure to excel is ever-present in kids' sports, and this movie is a good way to breach the topic with kids. There is a brief foray into single-parent romance, as Gordon courts the mother of one of the players.

Overall, things never get serious for very long, as the film highlights the camaraderie and laughs of being part of a team. It never really feels like a lecture to kids, so they are likely to enjoy it, and will hopefully take from it some lessons concerning competition. For kids 8 and up.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about ways that children may deal with high-pressure situations, like the ones faced by the hockey players in the movie. If Charlie had missed his shot at the end of the movie, what could the team and the coach have done to let him know they still supported him?


This review was written by Elliot Panek
Teen, 14 years old
April 18, 2011
 
I enjoyed this movie, but if I were a parent I wouldn't let younger children watch it because of the language and drinking.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 
ok
This movie we watched in class this is just a ok movie

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Elliot Panek
Topics:sports and martial arts, misfits and underdogs
Studio:Buena Vista
Director:Stephen Herek
Cast:Emilio Estevez, Joshua Jackson, Joss Ackland
Genre:Family and Kids
Run time:104 minutes
Theatrical release date:October 2, 1992
DVD release date:April 11, 2000
MPAA rating:PG
MPAA explanation:mild profanity and hockey violence

This review was written by Elliot Panek
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

vote now

Will you see The Mighty Ducks?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it