Skateboards And Spandex

Chris (Mohammed Mansaray) is a victim of bullying. He's small. he wears glasses. He stammers. Many viewers will relate. Chris has already moved schools to try to deal with it but the new place in just as bad. Is there any hope? Perhaps so. A history lesson hints at the solution. Aggressors can be defeated when others work together to stop them. Chris befriends a fellow victim, fat kid James (Brandon Robinson), and the two are then recruited by smart kid Lokesh (Jaipal Babraa), who is determined that they will find a way to fight back.

Made in the spirit of The Goonies, this is a film intended to speak to kids. It may seem contrived and gratuitous to adults, but it has the potential to connect with younger viewers very well. There are a few jokes aimed at older ones, including nods to Grange Hill (the main bully is called Tucker), and the fantastic laboratory in Lokesh's garage is full of cute references, but there's no need to get these to follow the story. The only really awkward note is a hip hop routine which viewers will either love or loathe.

Mansaray is a likeable lead and all the young actors are flawless in their delivery, with Robinson showing a particular talent for physical comedic acting. The characters are well rounded and this helps to compensate for the somewhat formulaic nature of the plot. There's a little twist at the end to make the kids question their own expectations, but overall this is a pretty straightforward revenge movie. And whilst some adults may flinch at the notion that the way to deter bullies is with violence and humiliation, kids will easily be able to relate it to real life experience, even if this version is rather more dramatic. It's appropriately cathartic.

A film with a message that also manages to entertain, Skateboards And Spandex is a good showcase for some promising new talent.