Parents' Guide to

Nitro Circus: The Movie 3D

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Dangerous stunts, teasing, injuries aren't entertaining.

Movie PG-13 2012 80 minutes
Nitro Circus: The Movie 3D Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 13+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Rossicat
Rossicat Adult
May 24, 2019
age 13+
An interesting documentary/film that kids will love however definite use of s**t and f**k which I wish had been bleeped.... as my 9 year old really wanted to watch it.

This title has:

Too much swearing
xtremefam
xtremefam Parent of 12 and 15-year-old
August 20, 2012
age 12+

Don't take life so serious.

Ok I read the other reviews and guess my family dynamic is a little different. Our family vacations are taken around extreme sports and my kids have seen Nitro Circus from the very beginning. I actually liked this movie better than the TV show. If your child is mature enough they understand the danger involved. Is it a good influence? No but it was funny.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

X Games motorsports competitor Travis Pastrana teams up with his old buddies, dubbed the "Nitro Circus," to perform many dangerous stunts and prepare for live show in Las Vegas. Stunts include leaping a bicycle between two 40-story buildings, trying to crash and flip a race car more than seven times, and being pulled up a ramp and into a lake by a motorcycle engine. Some stunts succeed, others fail, and many performers are injured. The movie culminates with a few minutes of footage from the Vegas show.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (6 ):

Directed by two Nitro Circus team members, Gregg Godfrey and Jeremy Rawle, the movie's a bit confusing at the outset because of opposing tones. Pastrana earnestly tries to explain the significance of his group, claiming that they aren't deterred by the impossible. Then, in the next moment, the group members are introduced, accompanied by teasing and ridicule. As the movie unspools, the group members tease one another constantly, and it's difficult for newcomers to get to know them -- or care much about them.

The stunts are mostly effective when they go wrong, coaxing feelings of empathy for pain and human suffering. But otherwise, they're not particularly thrilling. Comparisons to the Jackass series are obvious, especially when Johnny Knoxville and Jeff Tremaine make appearances. Though not brilliant, the Jackass stunts are at least outrageous and disgusting, eliciting much stronger reactions. NITRO CIRCUS: THE MOVIE is equally dumb, and much duller to boot.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about stunts. Movies like Nitro Circus highlight stunts that -- unlike those in blockbuster action films -- seem to involve neither planning nor safety. Which looks more exciting? Why? Which seem more "real" or more dangerous? Why do you think people choose to perform these kinds of stunts?

  • How does the impact of this kind of violence compare to that of action and horror movies? Are stunts more fun to watch if have more potential danger? Why?

  • Why do these kinds of performers become so famous? What message does that send to kids?

  • Why do the performers spend so much time teasing and ridiculing one another? Do they come across as real friends?

Movie Details

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