A local Pinewood Derby competition transforms an average group of dads into overzealous rivals desperate to build the winning car. As egos swell, the kids are lucky if they get to pick the paint color. While the dads are busy with outlandish gimmicks and sabotage, the underestimated scouts pull together and discover the true meaning of sportsmanship.
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.
– Robert Denerstein,
Denver Rocky Mountain News,
15 Apr 2005
rotten:
Crammed with charmless characters and/or hammy performances.
– Michael Rechtshaffen,
Hollywood Reporter,
15 Apr 2005
fresh:
A cute family feature about the competitive little boy in every dad.
– Roger Moore,
Orlando Sentinel,
15 Apr 2005
rotten:
Typical for this type of family-skewing comedy, performances vacillate between engagingly broad and annoyingly overstated.
– Joe Leydon,
Variety,
15 Apr 2005
rotten:
It's all about these fathers and how crazy they are.