Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Nothing more than a 45-minute Hot Wheels commercial.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Hot Wheels: The Skills to Thrill
What's the Story?
Gage, Wyatt, Brandon, and Rhett are the members of Team Hot Wheels, a group of drivers who try to be "good guys" but often seem to cause more harm than good in their city. Back at the lab run by mad scientist Larry, they meet Larry's "identical twin brother" (they look nothing alike) Gary, who has arrived with a new invention. This invention is the "Driverless Onboard Remote Controller," or "DORC." This allows people to ride in their cars without having to drive them. This poses a problem for Team Hot Wheels: How can you have fun driving fast if you can't drive at all? While these "DORCs" are initially seen as wonderful inventions, Team Hot Wheels discovers that Gary has evil plans, and it's up to them to stop him so they can continue to drive fast.
Is It Any Good?
HOT WHEELS: THE SKILLS TO THRILL only exists to get young kids to nag their parents into buying Hot Wheels cars and the tracks they ride on. The fast-driving, goofy action and puerile humor all serve this end. This goal also explains the satirical hostility to a future of cars that drive themselves. Sure, there would be far fewer fatalities and instances of fender benders, drunk driving, and road rage, but what happens to Hot Wheels products when kids see cars as passive modes of transportation rather than sports cars driven by humans at high speeds?
There really isn't anything of substance to this 45-minute animated feature. For parents savvy to the ways in which products are marketed to kids, watching this will prove an excruciating -- and perhaps depressing -- experience.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way toys are marketed. Why would a company that manufactures a toy want to produce an animated feature about the toy?
How is humor used in this movie? Do you think it's funny?
Why are the Hot Wheels cars shown doing exciting things that could be copied by young kids who own toy versions of what they see on TV?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : August 1, 2015
- Cast : Ben Diskin , Grant George , David Lodge
- Director : Matt Danner
- Studio : Hanna-Barbera Productions
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Transportation ( Cars & Trucks ) , Adventures , Friendship
- Run time : 45 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate