Parents' Guide to

Wheely

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

"Cars"-like thriller isn't particularly memorable.

Movie PG 2019 90 minutes
Wheely Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Pixiedust21
Pixiedust21 Adult
October 3, 2021
age 16+

A little strange

This film wasn’t too bad, my son seemed to like it, until there was a scene where these characters, a male and a female car were driving along in the dark. The male car was seemingly harassing the female with flirting, and saying things like “I just want to get down” etc or something similar, let’s just go together baby etc while the female tried to get him to leave her alone. Watch it and you’ll see what I mean and you’ll see the lines (I can’t fully remember but it’s similar to what I’ve written) it’s very very odd for a children’s animated car film. The whole thing seems based on romance and flirting, girlfriends etc. The next thing, they throw the car in jail for illegal racing. I just find it very odd. It’s stereotypical too with the accents and car characters. I just don’t understand why they put such odd messages and scenes in this children’s film. Oh yes and at one point one car said to another “that’s why we don’t drink and drive” which is obviously something we need to spread awareness about in the world but my jaw dropped when it said that in a film aimed at little children.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Bdragon122
Bdragon122 Adult
November 14, 2020
age 8+

It's ok, with some issues

Not a bad film But why are there taxis who is using all those taxies
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

WHEELY takes place in Gasket City, which is part of a Cars-like talking-vehicle universe. It follows slick Wheely O'Wheels (voiced by Ogie Banks), a street racer who's about to win a citywide race when he slips on spilled motor oil and ends up in a river. One year later, Wheely is a taxi driver with problematic parts he can't afford to replace. He meets Bella (Frances Lee), an Italian model/aspiring actress, whom he instantly crushes on, even though she has a rich and powerful boyfriend, Ben (Thomas Pang). Feeling threatened, Ben challenges Wheely to an illegal street race that ends up with Wheely getting imprisoned. Meanwhile, Bella is car-napped by the henchmen of mobster kingpin Kaiser (Brock Powell), an 18-wheeler who adds her to his shipment of stolen cars ready to be sold for parts overseas. With help from Wheely's buddy, a scooter called Putt Putt (Gavin Yap), and a group of fellow cabbies, Wheely comes up with a plan to break out of prison and save Bella.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (2):

It's difficult not to compare this adventure to the far superior Cars. But even if you discount the movie's derivative nature, there's little to make it more than a passing diversion. The similarities are a bit obvious: Gasket City instead of Radiator Springs, race car main character Wheely O'Wheels instead of Lightning McQueen, shiny sports car love interest Bella di Monetti instead of Sally Carrera, etc. That's not to say that unoriginal movies can't be decent; there are plenty of genre movies with similar themes and formulaic storylines, and some are well-executed. Wheely, however, is just serviceable enough to make kids laugh, but not memorable enough to please parents -- and certainly not child-free audiences who have no reason to see it.

The voice cast can be a bit off-putting; some characters have over-the-top accents that border on offensive, from the Mexican-sounding lowrider henchmen and the bucktoothed Putt Putt, who's portrayed as Asian, to the arrogant English alpha guy Ben (complete with British green racing stripes) and the criminal Jamaican cargo ship. The best part of the movie is its message that people should never be dismissed or discriminated against because of their humble social status or blue-collar occupations. There's a class consciousness to the story that shows how "regular" workers like Wheely's fellow cabs can band together effectively to defeat a villain. Kids obsessed with car-related material may get a kick out of seeing yet another talking-vehicle movie, but others may be better off rewatching the Cars films.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about which parts of Wheely, if any, were frightening. Why? How much scary stuff can young kids handle?

  • Which characters are role models? How do they demonstrate courage and teamwork? Why are those important character strengths?

  • What is the movie's message about elitism? Should those who are rich and/or privileged assume those who aren't are somehow less worthy of their time or consideration?

  • What do you think about the way the characters in the movie speak? Is the variety of accents a positive representation of various races and ethnicities? Could they be considered stereotypical? Why is representation important?

Movie Details

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 suggesting a diversity update.

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