Ultimate Parkour Challenge
By Will Wade,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Underground sport is a mix of danger and excitement.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
Where to Watch
Community Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Ultimate Parkour Challenge
Report this review
What's the Story?
Parkour isn't exactly a household name in the United States, but it's starting to become more well-known, especially now that this combination of gymnastics, sprinting, and jumping off of buildings has been seen in several mainstream movies and TV shows. Parkour practitioners leap from rooftops, hurdle over obstacles, bound up and over fences, and flip, roll, and twist as they fly through the air in an impressive demonstration of what the human body can rdo. In ULTIMATE PARKOUR CHALLENGE, eight experts in this esoteric sport go head-to-head to see who can put together the most impressive routine.
Is It Any Good?
When it's done right, parkour is tremendously fun to watch. Seeing someone sprint across a rooftop, spring off the edge, fall two or three stories, hit the ground rolling, and then spring up and keep running at full speed is just wild. The stunts these athletes pull off have to be seen to be believed, and even then it's sometimes tough to believe that the moves are real. It looks extremely dangerous, but these trained experts make it look easy -- again, when it's done right.
But as one participant points out after a nasty fall, "we're not superhuman." No, they're just regular people, prone to slips and accidents like anyone else; sometimes they don't stick the landing or can't quite grab onto the handhold they're trying to reach. That's when viewers realize how challenging -- and how dangerous -- these stunts can be. In the movies, parkour sequences can be repeated over and over until everything goes perfectly; that perfection belies the difficulty of this sport. On this show, viewers see both the amazing and the botched, and watching people fail only makes it easier to appreciate what they're trying to pull off.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about dangerous sports. Do you think parkour looks like fun, or does it seem too risky? Are some sports fun because they're risky? Do you think some activities are so unsafe that they shouldn't be allowed?
Are you familiar with parkour? Have you ever seen some of these stunts in movies or TV shows? Did you know this was an actual sport? Does watching this show make you want to try some of these stunts?
TV Details
- Premiere date: October 22, 2009
- Cast: Andy Bell
- Network: MTV
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: October 13, 2022
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.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
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