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Movies / On DVD / Down and Derby
Down and Derby

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Down and Derby (2005)

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23 %
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Reviews Counted:26

Fresh:6

Rotten:20

Average Rating:3.9/10

Consensus: Dull, predictable family fare.

Genre: Comedies

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... 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]

Starring: Greg Germann, Lauren Holly, Pat Morita

Starring: Greg Germann, Lauren Holly, Pat Morita


Studio: Innovation Film Group

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Down and Derby

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1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

The cornball humor and aw- shucks demeanor often make the Disney Channel seem edgy by comparison.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
10/13/05
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

Like a snow cone with no syrup, Down and Derby leaves us high and dry in the moral-of-the-story department.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
04/14/05
Kathy Cano Murillo
Kathy Cano Murillo
Arizona Republic

An amiable, albeit somewhat lame family film.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
04/14/05
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A simple pleasure from start to finish.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
04/18/05
Kim Williamson
Kim Williamson
Boxoffice Magazine

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.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
04/14/05
Nancy Churnin
Nancy Churnin
Dallas Morning News

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.

Full Review Source: Denton Record Chronicle (TX) | comment Comment
04/15/05
Todd Jorgenson
Todd Jorgenson
Denton Record Chronicle (TX)

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.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
04/15/05
Michael Booth
Michael Booth
Denver Post

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.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
04/15/05
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News

Too often the movie defies description as a comedy.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
04/15/05
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

[A] decent old-school family film (with cuddly lessons and morals).

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
04/15/05
E! Online

It’s all about these fathers and how crazy they are.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
04/18/05
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper

Imbecilic, unreasonable and wretchedly unfunny.... The film is 5,580 seconds long, and not one of those seconds is believable.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
04/18/05
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Crammed with charmless characters and/or hammy performances.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
04/15/05
Michael Rechtshaffen
Michael Rechtshaffen
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/28/05
Houston Chronicle

It’s when adults with whitewashed notions of childhood get hold of a camera that kiddie fare -- like this uninspired effort from writer-director Eric Hendershoot -- goes limp.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
04/14/05
Ernest Hardy
Ernest Hardy
L.A. Weekly

The cartoonish movie might have made for a funny half-hour short or sitcom pilot but runs out of track well before its conclusion.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
04/14/05
Kevin Crust
Kevin Crust
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Down and Derby is a benign but good-hearted family comedy that offers a gender-switch on stage moms: derby dads.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
04/14/05
Jeff Strickler
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Germann is the whole show here, which might not be so bad if he played to his quirky strengths. Instead, he's stuck playing Tim Allen

Full Review Source: New Times | comment Comment
04/14/05
Luke Y. Thompson
Luke Y. Thompson
New Times

Might make for a foul-weather-time waster on Nickelodeon, the Fox Family Network or even the Disney Channel, but on the big screen it's a hapless, hopeless bore.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
04/14/05
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

A cute family feature about the competitive little boy in every dad.

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
04/15/05
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
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