Gotta love a good underdog movie, especially when the underdog is a snail. Sure, Turbo is predictable and formulaic, but it’s also cute and sweet and fun, with a winning message: No dream is too big. No dreamer, too small. Aw shucks. What can I say? Turbo is a solid entry in the animated field of kid-friendly flicks for summer. Just ask our Special Guest Chicklet, 10-year-old Raquel Sklar. Here’s her two cents:
“Turbo” is a comedy for everyone. I liked all of it. The character Burn, voiced by Maya Rudolph, is my favorite, and I think one of the funniest. When Turbo is stuck, all he has to do is believe in himself, and there you have it. And, yes, “Turbo” is another racing movie. If you like Disney’s “Cars”, “Cars 2”, and you are looking forward to “Planes”, then you will love DreamWorks’s “Turbo”. I think it is one huge hit movie. Hope you like it, too.
Here’s the gist: Ryan Reynolds is the voice of Turbo, a garden-variety snail who works at “The (tomato) Plant” but dreams of a life in the fast lane. After a freak accident gives Turbo a boost of super speed, he embarks on a journey that takes him all the way to the Indy 500 – and a chance to race against his hero, Guy Gagné (Bill Hader).
The supporting characters are a fun bunch. They include Chet (Paul Giamatti), Turbo’s skeptical, stick-in-the-mud older brother; Whiplash (Samuel L. Jackson), the adrenaline-junkie head of Turbo’s all-snail pit crew; and Tito (Michael Peña), a Taco Truck driver who finds a kindred spirit in Turbo.
The movie speaks to community, sibling relationships, overcoming challenges, and taking chances – regardless of your species. Vroom, vroom!
Sounds like one that I’ll be able to sit through with the kids without wanting to kill myself. I’ll add it to the list. Thanks.