Parents' Guide to Ace Wonder

Parents need to know that Ace Wonder is part plodding mystery, part weak father-son estrangement story, and part comic book. The title character is a 10-year-old would-be detective with the requisite trench coat, hat, and "hard-boiled" repartee. However, with the exception of a few action sequences, Ace Wonder, aka Gator Moore, is rarely a key part of the story. He's on-screen briefly, usually for comic relief, searching for clues or recording his observations. Most of the film tells the story of a teen struggling with the death of his grandfather and ongoing friction with his own dad as they investigate the elderly man's secretive actions before his death. Two action-packed sequences with kids in danger include gunfire, a fight with fists and a tire iron, and a car overturning with a boy at the wheel. No serious injuries or deaths. When the mystery is the focus of the story, the music and lighting are eerie and dark. The Ace Wonder comic book sections are, by far, the most successful elements of what otherwise is a slow, confusing, and unoriginal venture.

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