Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cliched movie has bad acting, nonsensical story. Stay away.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
What's the Story?
Jimmy Daniels is moving from Santa Monica, California to Brenton, Florida with his mother and stepfather (Jim Fitzpatrick) so his stepfather can return to his hometown and be the vice principal of the local school. As Jimmy, a streetwise California kid fond of employing a mix of hip-hop and beatnik slang terms, tries to make new friends in his new school, his stepfather tries to get everyone interested in scouting. The boys aren't interested until girls are allowed to take part, and thus, the Adventure Scouts are born. Meanwhile, Jimmy's real father, the leader of a California biker gang, has just gotten out of prison, and wants his son back. With this ragtag and bumbling gang of bikers, Jimmy's father arrives in Brenton and takes most of the townspeople hostage, locking them in prison until he is allowed custody of Jimmy. It is up to the Adventure Scouts to stop the bad bikers and rescue their fellow Brentonites.
Is It Any Good?
Simply put: There is absolutely nothing to enjoy about this movie. It isn't even a "so bad it's good"-type of B-movie. This is amateurish and lazy at every possible turn -- be it the sloppy editing, the enormous holes in the storyline, the staggering lapses in story logic, and the infinite number of cliches packed into this thing. It's unfathomable to comprehend why a cast and crew of presumably sane people would waste time and money making this awful movie.
There really is nothing redeeming about this film. If the acting isn't stilted and awkward, it's obnoxiously hammy. The attempts at comedy are beyond trite. Even the attempts at positive messages pertaining to girls being as capable of scouting out in the great outdoors as boys are eclipsed by the sheer mediocrity in every other aspect of this movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what makes this movie so terrible. In terms of overall quality, what makes a movie a "bad" movie?
What are some of the cliched aspects to this story?
If you could recreate this movie, how would you change and improve it?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : May 2, 2010
- Cast : Antonio Traver , Jim Fitzpatrick , Jodi Knotts
- Director : Jim Fitzpatrick
- Studio : AJ Productions
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 84 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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