Planes: Fire & Rescue – Hit or Miss
Francisca Straut gives us her thoughts on the latest edition to the Planes series… (May contain Spoilers)
Disney has recently launched their new movie titled “Planes: Fire & Rescue”. It is playing at all the theatres nationwide. With a running time of 1 hour and 23 minutes this movies is quite entertaining. But who are the movie’s target audience?
If you ask me, it is better for kids of 10 years age and above to watch it. Although the movie has a PG certification I would suggest that if your kid is below 5 years or so then it is best to skip the movie. There are many scenes that are too alarming for a child to watch. Well let me explain in detail…
If you look at the poster of the movie or the trailer then at face value it appears that it is a movie that is perfect for preschoolers and elementary-school age kids who have their summer vacations going on and would love to watch a Disney movie. With talking cartoon airplanes, cars – this is a must watch movie for kids. But what struck me was that although it has a very interesting story and a good message, there are some scenes that are bit strong for the kind of audience Disney has in mind.
The movie “Planes: Fire & Rescue” is a sequel to last year’s “Planes.” Disney has retained some of the old characters and has added some new ones. Dusty Crophopper is once again the hero. Unlike the earlier movie where he became a racing sensation, in this movie Dusty cannot continue his career simply because the gearbox is damaged. Due to an accident at Prop wash (caused by Dusty) the junction shuts down. Dusty takes the responsibility of opening the junction once again by becoming a firefighter. But soon he learns that becoming a firefighter is completely different ball game from driving cars.
There were many children at the theatre where I went to see the movie and many of them broke into fits of cries when the forest fire scene was shown. In fact I also found it to be quite inappropriate for a child’s movie. And in the big screen it appeared to be more intense and raw. The scenes where Dusty was disobedient in face of danger was quite alarming as it gives the wrong impression. Although I agree that in the end he does learn his lesson but seriously?
There were also scenes where the characters were seen visiting Disney equivalent of bars where they used alternatives of swear words that fort a while I was wondering “wow, is this really a Disney film?”
The only redeeming thing about the movie was that it showed how one can overcome a handicap in order to find a new meaning in life.
Verdict: Should you watch it or skip it? You can watch it but keep in mind that there are certain scenes that are quite intense for young viewers. If your kid is above 10 years old then don’t hesitate and book the tickets for this weekend.
Planes: Fire & Rescue is out in now in US cinemas and due out 8th August in UK.
About the Author
The above article has been written by Francisca Straut. She also writes on corporate video production.
