The premise of Turbo, a snail who wants to race more than anything in the world, makes the film both comical and inspiring. Despite the seeming impossibility of his dream to race and beat super fast cars, Turbo (Ryan Reynolds) plugs away every night, practicing to achieve greater speed, undaunted by his very slow progress. When a freak accident gives him the power of speed, he uses it to achieve his dreams. 

Turbo is a pariah at his day job in the tomato garden, where the other snails don't understand or appreciate his differences. He is constantly chastised by his über-cautious and protective older brother, Chet (voiced brilliantly by Paul Giamatti), for his sometimes reckless and oftentimes un-snail like behavior. A parallel storyline of two human brothers, whose lives and livelihood become inextricably linked with those of Turbo and Chet, creates a nice story arc and adds depth to the main characters.

The vibrant, colorful animation appeals to kids and adults alike. The characters’ complexity and underlying deeper questions of privilege and lack of opportunity keep adults interested in the story. Universal themes of family dynamics, being the underdog, and believing in impossible dreams connect the viewer with the characters. And although the ending is predictable, there are a few plot twists and surprises along the way.  Besides, kids like predictability, right?

As a parent, I appreciate that the film doesn’t have a lot of violence, darkness, or sinister-looking villains. The lack of weapons is very refreshing. It’s a racing movie, so it was expectedly loud (though for us that was mitigated by seeing the movie at a drive-in theater). It is not a movie for toddlers, but I think it is appropriate for preschool age and up. However, there are some potentially scary aspects to be aware of if you’re watching with young children:

There is a young villain, a sadistic preschooler on a tricycle who goes after small creatures (like snails), and crushes them with his wheels.

Greedy black crows that appear larger than life capture Turbo’s brother. They surround him and start fighting over which one gets to eat him. The intensity of the moment is broken quickly by Turbo’s heroic and hilarious intervention.

In the big race scene, Turbo is in a perilous situation throughout, dodging race cars and debris. Things really heat up when the Turbo’s hero-turned-nemesis actively tries to crush him, first with his car, and then with his foot. It’s less scary than it is sad. It’s difficult to watch the maniacal meanness of a human who wants to destroy the snail we have come to love. (It almost makes me feel bad for de-slugging my garden. Almost.)

There are a few things that bugged me, which may or may not register with anyone else: First, although I like that the cast of characters is ethnically diverse, I feel like the writing leans a little too heavily on stereotypes. Second, like most popular kids’ films (that aren’t princess movies), the story is almost completely male-dominated. There are three secondary female characters, but all of the main characters are male. Third, the treatment of death is rather cavalier – snails watching one of their own being snatched up by a crow and just shrugging it off, for example – until a main character is put in a perilous situation. I’m not sure what kind of message that sends. (Perhaps I’m over-analyzing. I tend to do that.)

Overall, it was an enjoyable 90 (or so) minutes, and I felt perfectly comfortable sharing it with my kids. The experience of seeing it at the Mendon Twin Drive-In made it truly special. My kids rate our night at the drive-in, along with our outing to see a PawSox game, as the highlights of the summer so far. It was nice to be out in the fresh air and have space to move around. And the festive pre-movie atmosphere, with young families playing Frisbee and licking ice cream from the snack bar, felt like summer at its best.