Common Sense Media Review
By Tracy Moore
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
1980s teen bike adventure with sustained menace, peril.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
BMX Bandits
What's the Story?
When two BMX riders bust up their bikes in a grocery store parking lot mishap, simultaneously costing a young woman, Judy (Nicole Kidman), her job, the trio take off on a fishing trip. But plans change when they stumble upon a stash of stolen walkie talkies and realize they can hawk them for the cash to repair their bikes. The scheme backfires when a band of bank robbers discover the whereabouts of their missing loot and are determined to reclaim it.
Is It Any Good?
BMX BANDITS offers an amusing return to '80s freestyle bike culture with some bawdy humor and adventure. Kids may enjoy those bike tricks woven throughout the film's action-driven plot, and some of those chase sequences -- particularly in a creepy cemetery setting -- are good for a thrill.
Parents may like the nostalgia rush, not to mention watching a very young Nicole Kidman in her first feature role. And the movie deserves a thumbs-up for portraying a teen girl character who's considered an equal in adventure, not to mention bike-riding, with her male peers, even if it's totally obvious she has a stunt double for all her best moves. But with endless pursuit sequences that quickly tire, it's a high price of admission just to see neon bikes and feathery hair.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how movies often portray teenagers taking the reins of a mystery or crime and solving it ably without the help of adults. Is this realistic? Have you ever ignored advice from your parents or an authority figure about how to handle something? What were the consequences?
The BMX bike riders pull some extremely risky moves in the film. Go online to read more about how much work, training, and safety precautions go into performing stunt tricks on bicycle in movies.
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 29, 1983
- On DVD or streaming : March 15, 2011
- Cast : David Argue , John Ley , Nicole Kidman
- Director : Brian Trenchard Smith
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Severin Films
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Adventures
- Run time : 88 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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