Parents' Guide to

Derby Dogs

By Tracy Moore, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Brief profanity, crassness in otherwise uplifting tale.

Movie PG 2013 87 minutes
Derby Dogs Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 9+

Based on 1 parent review

Victorb3
Victorb3 Parent of 7-year-old
August 11, 2019
age 9+

Nice movie

I let my boys watch this at age 7/8. I think a little older might be better. My boys know better than to pay attention to the bad language (which there really is not too much). They liked the soap box derby racing and seeing how the more honorable path will be rewarded in the long run. I think there are some sad moments talking about the main character's dad that died. The topics about relationships is just small part of movie and I like how it focused on friendships in the end. I think they could have lost the loan-sharking bit of the story for a better movie but this again is just small part of the story and there is a lesson there too. In short this is a nice movie with good moral lessons.

This title has:

Great messages
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Ben (Edward Hall), who has just lost his father in a car accident, discovers the one thing that could bring him joy is entering the local soapbox derby races in New Zealand that he and his dad dreamed of competing in together. But mom Karen (Tandi Wright) is against the idea, so Ben finds a way to compete secretly, even if it means sneaking around to build and test a car with best friend Jeff (Tikirau Hathaway), avoiding teacher Mr. Lumsden (Dai Henwood), not being completely honest, and fending off some school bullies who are dead set on winning at any cost.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

The movie works in tween and teen issues -- bullying, newfound interest in the opposite sex, shifting boundaries with parents, changing friendships -- without feeling like an afterschool special. Instead, the friendships feel natural and the situations are authentic -- barring a bit of reckless driving and a few potties tipping over onto cars for comic effect. It presents situations adolescents can learn a lot from seeing, addressing ethics, teen dating, and trying to obey your parents while still being true to yourself, and it does so without dodging the complexities inherent in them.

Kids who like racing, derby cars, or New Zealand will find a lot to laugh about here, and parents can appreciate the message that there are more important things than winning, even though winning is a lot of fun.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about cheating. What happens when we cheat by taking a shortcut or breaking the rules? Why is it so important to meet our goals as fairly as possible?

  • What are some ways to handle being bullied at school? Do you think Ben handles it well? Why, or why not? What might he have done differently?

  • Ben doesn't appear to be smart in the academic sense, but it turns out he has a lot of knowledge and determination. What are different kinds of smarts that you've noticed? What kinds do you have?

Movie Details

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