I’ll admit that when I first saw the trailer for 20th Century Fox’s new movie Turbo, I wasn’t particularly impressed. Then I forgot about it as there haven’t been all that many commercials or advertisements promoting the film.
But it’s thoroughly enjoyable. I mean, really quite entertaining.
Turbo (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) is the story of a snail who dreams of being the greatest racer in the world. His obsession with speed has made him an oddity and outsider in the slow and cautious snail community. Then a freak accident (which my four year old said was one of his favorite scenes) leaves him with the power of incredible speed. The newly turbo-charged Turbo embarks on an extraordinary journey to achieve the impossible: racing in the Indianapolis 500. Joining Turbo is his dedicated pit crew of racing snails – a ragtag group of trash-talking adrenaline junkies tricked out with shells that look like mini-street racing cars. Turbo is the ultimate underdog who achieves the impossible by refusing to let his limitations get in the way of his dreams.
The movie is rated PG and I honestly can’t quite figure out why. Neither my husband nor I could put our finger on it. Maybe it was that the dialogue was more aimed at adults and that kids might not be able to follow along. I didn’t hear any foul language or see anything that made my mom radar go off. My son laughed and clapped throughout the entire show.
I wouldn’t take a child under three to this movie because it’s incredibly loud (lots of revving engines) and the beginning would probably lose their attention, but it’s fabulous for kids four and up. I think any child – boy or girl – would get a kick out of the story. The characters include Samuel L. Jackson, Snoop Dog, Maya Rudoph and other voices that you are sure to recognize.
Something else that’s awesome? The soundtrack. Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams, House of Pain, Run DMC and Pitbull. I will absolutely be downloading it on iTunes. It’ll make a great workout playlist.
If you’re looking for a movie the entire family can enjoy, Turbo is it.
Turbo opens nationwide today and has a run time of 96 minutes.
Oscar will love it. But take your headphones. The racing scenes are loud.
my mom took my kids last week – i may have to take them again b/c I want to see it!