The Gymkhana Files
By Mark Dolan,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Swearing and fast driving rule in lackluster reality show.
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The Gymkhana Files
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Based on 1 parent review
Good watch, but takes the fun out of it
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What's the Story?
THE GYMKHANA FILES follows Ken Block, the multi-millionaire founder of DC Shoes who used his earnings from selling the company to focus on rally racing. About a decade ago he made a video of his driving titled Gymkhana, which is an Anglo-Indian word that refers to a day of racing events. The video then went viral in a big way. He and his team, including hands-on director Brian Scotto are now in the process of making their tenth Gymkhana video and the pressure's on to make it the biggest one yet. Block's style of driving uses lots of precision drifting, perfectly executed skids and new twists on doing donuts. As he travels to new cities the show follows his and his crew as they scout locations and plan out the various sequences to be filmed. Drama is found along the way as vehicles perform unpredictably, weather fails to cooperate, or Block has an off day and can't hit a particular maneuver quite right.
Is It Any Good?
Well produced and expertly shot, you're either going to be interested in the cars and racing subject matter or you're not. If you're a fan of the YouTube videos that Block has produced or if you like watching souped up cars go fast and don't mind watching what is essentially a slick, multi-episode commercial for a millionaire's vanity project, than this show is for you. As likable as Ken Block comes across, it's difficult to care about him and his quest to make Gymkhana 10. Due to his status as a wealthy entrepreneur who took up racing as a hobby after making his millions, the stakes here are so incredibly low, they're almost non-existent -- what's the worst thing that could happen if they don't get the shot because of rain? Can't Block just pay for another day of shooting? There's a large amount of context that's left unexplained.
A project like this does make you think: Would this show be more interesting if it was about an industry you had any connection to, for example, filmmaking? Would you watch a 10-episode series about the making of one of the Marvel movies? These are the kinds of questions you might want to ask yourself before sitting down and committing to watching The Gymkhana Files.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the appeal of stunt driving and car racing. Why do people like to watch it? Why do you think Ken Block puts his life at risk, driving dangerously in The Gymkhana Files?
Do you consider stunt driving to be a sport? Why or why not?
TV Details
- Premiere date: November 19, 2018
- Network: Amazon Prime Video
- Genre: Reality TV
- Topics: Cars and Trucks
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: March 30, 2022
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