Fearless
By Jennifer Green,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Animated adventure has diverse cast, action, humor.
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Fearless
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Based on 5 parent reviews
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Fun night in
What's the Story?
FEARLESS is the screen name of talented teen video gamer Reid (voiced by Miles Robbins), whose plan for a weekend home alone goes awry thanks to three babies with superpowers -- who happen to be characters from one of his games. They're being pursued by alien criminal mastermind Dr. Arcannis (Miguel), who wants to suck away their superpowers, as well as by their father, Captain Lightspeed (Jadakiss), who's concerned about protecting them and managing their superpowers until they're able to control them. Arcannis kidnaps the babies, but they escape and wind up on Reid's doorstep. Reid and his classmate Melanie (Yara Shahidi) find themselves responsible for the safety of the babies and on the run from both Arcannis and soldiers led by the commanding General Blazerhatch (Gabrielle Union).
Is It Any Good?
The plot, action, and animation are all engaging, but what really sets this film apart is how much fun the voice actors seem to be having with their many one-liners. Union is especially amusing as General Blazerhatch, the power-hungry commander of the special task force assigned with capturing the errant aliens. Blazerhatch has been gifted with a stockpile of unreasonable demands (like being handed a clipboard every two minutes), a blustery cluelessness, and laughable expressions of wonder like "poop just got real" or putting out an APB on "infants of mass destruction."
In addition to the entertaining characters, the film has a good soundtrack and some fun asides, like that the space babies can only be soothed by the music of "national treasure" Lionel Richie. Though Fearless starts off with an action scene that's a little disorienting until all the characters are properly introduced, the story really clicks about 30 minutes in, when the two teens take off on the run from Dr. Arcannis. The deepening relationship between Reid and Melanie, their care for the babies, and the lessons they learn about themselves on their adventure provide a sweet storyline to balance out the action.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea of applying skills from video games to real life, like Reid does in Fearless. Can you think of any skills or lessons you've learned from playing games online that you've used in real life?
The movie offers positive representations of Black characters. Have you seen that often in animated or superhero movies? Why is representation in the media important?
Which characters do you consider role models in the movie? What are their character strengths?
Which parts of the movie did you find scary? How much scary stuff is OK for kids?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: August 14, 2020
- Cast: Gabrielle Union , Yara Shahidi , Miles Robbins
- Director: Cory Edwards
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Black actors, Middle Eastern/North African actors
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Superheroes , Adventures , Friendship , Space and Aliens
- Character Strengths: Courage , Perseverance
- Run time: 89 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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