Search - Hot Wheels - Acceleracers - Ignition on DVD

Recommended, with reservations...

Jukebox Graduate | Parma, Ohio USA | 08/20/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The story of Vert Wheeler and his racing friends that started on the "Hot Wheels World Race" DVD continues here.

"Vert" Wheeler is now a more experienced drivers with a street racing team called the Teku. The Teku Team have an intense rivalry with another team called the Metal Maniacs.

Both teams are recruited by Dr Tezla to drive in the "Racing Realms", which are other dimensional tracks that test a driver's racing skills to their extreme limit. Whoever reaches the finish line of each realm first receives an "Accelercharger", which grants the user's vehicle a special power (frictionless driving, hyperspeed, etc). Scattered throughout the realms are "Hyperpods", which the driver's car can attach to give it special abilities as well.

Unfortunately, the evil Gelorum has obtained the Wheel Of Power (see the Hot Wheels World Race DVD) and her robots will stop at nothing to obtain all the Accelerchargers!! If they do, they will be able to take over the world, which is NOT a good thing for us humans!

I have mixed feelings about the Acceleracer Series.

First, I (and especially my children) were thrilled to hear that more adventures with the Hot Wheels drivers that started on the World Race would be continued.

Secondly, the storyline is richer with many running subplots that will develop as future Acceleracer DVDs are released

But I have to seriously question several decisions that were made for this story:

- I do NOT support the fact that these drivers are street racers. While I'm sure it adds a "coolness" factor to the characters, why encourage a dangerous activity such as street racing?

- Also, the rival racing teams strongly resemble rival gangs. Again, why make this look fun and attractive to kids?

- The CGI animation for this series is much poorer than what was used in the World Race DVD. The drivers are now completely cartoonish with ridiculously proportioned features (check out those arms!).

- The violence content was seriously amped up from the World Race. My children were literally shocked at the opening sequence of this DVD when Dr Tezla was attacked by the drones, as there was nothing like that on the World Race DVD.

That being said, my children DO enjoy this DVD, and looks forward to the Hot Wheels Acceleracers: Speed Of Silence DVD that will be released in August. I would recommend this DVD for children 7 or older.

The Cartoon Network has already broadcast the third part of the Hot Wheels Accceleracers saga, Breaking Point, and will be airing the fourth episode Hot Wheels Accceleracers - The Ultimate Race on October 1st of 2005. If you missed part 3, they usually rebroadcast them the day before the new episode, so looks for it on Friday, September 30, 2005.

This DVD comes with 4 micro-episodes, that contain racing and plot elements in realms not shown in the main movie (the Lava Realm and the Cavern Realm). Othe bonus features include a gallery of the cars and bios of the drivers.

The adventures of these characters is continued in the Hot Wheels Acceleracers: Speed Of Silence DVD. And an earlier (and more kid friendly) adventure of these characters can be found on the Hot Wheels World Race DVD. See my reviews of those titles for more details.

P.S. - Note the car that Dr Tezla is driving at the beginning of this episode. You might see something like it later....


"

Buyer be warned!!

Christopher Ross | Lavergne, TN United States | 03/23/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"The Marketing masterminds behind this campaign are quite devious.

This disk does not contain all realms as the product description leads you to believe. It only contains Storm and Swamp and NOT Cavern and Lava. This disk basically contains the 3 episodes that it has released via the individual disks with the cars.

Apparently, the other realms will come available with individual cars to be released at a later time. Then Hot Wheels will release those two episodes on a disk, and then release yet another disk that MAY contain it all.

My Kids were excited about this release expecting to get additional programming, only to be disappointed that there is no new footage on this release. There is no resolution to the story line on this DVD.

In addition, you can not skip through disk, you can only fast forward.
"

A Good Buy

Mouse | USA | 03/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being a baby sitter and having two little brothers who are 9 and 11. I was thrilled that Hot Wheels was making a sequel to the World Race having seen the World Race more times then I can count. They didn't disappoint. With some of the characters from the first movie like Vert and new ones it makes so it doesn't feel like they doing the same thing over again like some sequel do. The plot is pretty good and even I was enjoying watching it with my brothers. My brothers are enjoying this one just as much if not more then the World Race. They love the racing realms and love the new and old characters that are back. Along with the great action. As for the violence there really isn't much more then what was in the first movie. Now some people are wondering with the way that they ended it is another movie coming after this one and the answer is yes. This is a 4 part mini series going on through the year and the second one has already aired on Cartoon Network (Cartoon Network shows them before they come out on DVD just like before with the World Race.) The extras are pretty cool. The only complaint with this DVD that I have is no scene selections unlike the World Race but besides that it is a great movie."

Not Appropriate For Any Youthful Age

Edward M. Lowe | Broadway, VA USA | 06/17/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"To any mom or dad of a "Hot Wheels Addicted" toddler, as one reviewer termed her boy.... If this review prevents even one parent from making the mistake I did in buying this sequel. The characters have bad attitudes, there is meanness for the sake of meanness and violence for the sake of violence it seems to me. Another reviewer noted the street gang aspect of this movie...and I ask, why why why bring that into the impressionable world of someone as young as this movie is targeted to. The first one seemed to make the cars the stars....in this one, I tried as hard as I could to find redeeming character traits as my 3 year old witnessed a fiery death, a brutal beating, and instance after instance of aggressive, violent behavior, and in general, horrible attitudes. OF COURSE, he wants to see more...I've informed him the disc is broken."