Common Sense Media Review
By Renee Schonfeld
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Funny, action-packed intro to new Hot Wheels products.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
What's the Story?
When a sinister black car shows up in their quiet hometown, releasing endless orange Hot Wheels tracks in the sky along with stifling clouds of fuchsia smoke and mutant monsters, Team Hot Wheels is called into action. The four kid drivers on the Team are classic "types": Gage, the speedster (voiced by Grant George); Rhett, a New Age guru who's in touch with his karmic "chi" (voiced by David Lodge); Wyatt, a full-of-himself Southern stunt man (voiced by Nicholas Roye); and Brandon, a gadget geek-brainiac (voiced by Ben Diskin). Guided by their mentor, adult mechanic Larry (voiced by Faruq Tauheed), the team must quit squabbling among themselves and then band together to stop that black car and save the townspeople from disaster.
Is It Any Good?
This movie has distinctive characters and fine performances all around, very funny writing, crisp and inventive animation, and plenty of comic action. The jokes arrive as fast as the cars (for example, a shark receiving the Heimlich maneuver, and a "gator-whisperer"). The mischief makers are wonderfully clever, all familiar-but-mutated animals, people, and objects. Larry, the Team coach, and his robotic sidekick add to the fun. Be forewarned, it's a bit long and the messages may get repetitious, but the movie's virtues outweigh its minor flaws.
It's an interesting concept: selling traditional, well-known, and beloved toys by releasing a very funny, character-driven movie that will appeal to adults as well as kids and that will hold up for repeated viewings. The Lego Movie did it but with a much bigger budget, movie stars, and a major studio launch. TEAM HOT WHEELS: THE ORIGIN OF AWESOME manages to accomplish a similar feat on a smaller scale.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the villains (antagonists) in this movie. How are they different from the bad guys in most animated movies? Are they meant to be scary?
What is Boss Larry's goal for the team in this movie? How does he accomplish it?
Create your own car and driver who might join Team Hot Wheels. What special skill could your driver have? How would that skill help the Team?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 7, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : September 30, 2014
- Cast : Grant George , David Lodge , Ben Diskin
- Director : Matt Danner
- Studio : Mattel Playground Productions
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Transportation ( Cars & Trucks ) , Friendship
- Run time : 78 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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