Does better on DVD than it did on the big screen, as long as your expectations aren't too high.
Down and Derby (2005)
Synopsis: Down and Derby is a fun and entertaining comedy about a small-town Pinewood Derby competition that transforms an average group of dads into an awkward bunch of competitors. This family-friendly satire combines brilliant acting performances and smartly familiar scenes to expose the... Down and Derby is a fun and entertaining comedy about a small-town Pinewood Derby competition that transforms an average group of dads into an awkward bunch of competitors. This family-friendly satire combines brilliant acting performances and smartly familiar scenes to expose the desperate behavior of parents who compete with one another through their children - a social dynamic seen in everyday activities ranging from little league to science fairs to pageantry. Phil Davis was the kid who had it all. He could run, kick and jump better than anyone in his fifth grade class. Then, a cool kid from California named Ace Montana moved to town. On one fateful day in front of his two best friends - Blaine and Big Jimmy - Phil lost a head-to-head footrace to Ace and was forever bumped from his champion status. Ever since, first place has eluded him. 25 years later, not much has changed. They all still live in the same neighborhood. Blaine is still cynical and at 5'2" tall, Big Jimmy hasn't grown more than an inch since elementary school. Ace is the perennial winner while Phil's best attempts continue to win just runner-up. Now with children of their own, they find themselves in familiar competitive situations. On the heels of his son's defeat to Ace's son in the city league basketball championship, Phil wakes up unresolved and is at a breaking point with his childhood rival. The next day, news of the upcoming Pinewood Derby race is announced and Phil's son, Brady, races from his Pack meeting to solicit his dad's help. Desperate for a win, Phil sees this event as his breakthrough opportunity to finally beat Ace, whose son is also a Cub Scout. Surrounded by other overzealous dads in the same cul-de-sac, including Blaine and Big Jimmy, they all overlook the event's ideals and dominate the design, planning and construction of the cars. In the crazed world of derby fever, the kids are lucky if they get to pick the paint color or attach a decal. Hilarity builds as the dads teeter on the edge of insanity and resort to backstabbing, cover-ups and sabotage. Wives, families and jobs are ignored with extreme consequences and the kids scheme their revenge to never be underestimated again. In the end, the farce reaches comical and outrageous levels with a surprise twist that will have you on the edge of your seat! © -- Stonehaven Media [More]
Genre: Comedies
Starring: Greg Germann, Lauren Holly, Pat Morita
DVD Info
Release:
Dec 1, 2007
DVD Features:
- Widescreen
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Additional Release Material:
- Deleted Scenes
- Theatrical Trailer
Reviews
The cornball humor and aw- shucks demeanor often make the Disney Channel seem edgy by comparison.
Imbecilic, unreasonable and wretchedly unfunny.... The film is 5,580 seconds long, and not one of those seconds is believable.
Typical for this type of family-skewing comedy, performances vacillate between engagingly broad and annoyingly overstated.
Heads in predictable directions and illuminates little besides the process of crafting cars to compete in the Scouts' Pinewood Derby.
A cute family feature about the competitive little boy in every dad.
The Pinewood Derby is a tradition dating back more than 50 years, but it’s doubtful Down and Derby will hang around for more than a week.
[A] decent old-school family film (with cuddly lessons and morals).
Down and Derby has the look and feel of something that might turn up on a cable channel devoted to 'family-friendly' entertainment, where it might find a greater audience.
Down and Derby is amusing enough to make a bit of money at the box office and become a shelf-stable DVD for years to come.
[The] family-friendly slapstick is pitched at such a manic high... that the results are more exhausting than amusing.
It has moments of fun, but... In racing terms, it limps toward the finish line and comes up short.
The cartoonish movie might have made for a funny half-hour short or sitcom pilot but runs out of track well before its conclusion.
Like a snow cone with no syrup, Down and Derby leaves us high and dry in the moral-of-the-story department.
It should be required viewing for moms and dads tempted to write their children's essays, create Power Point presentations for their science projects and build their Pinewood Derby cars.


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