HOT WHEELS LET’S RACE: Season One

In HOT WHEELS LET’S RACE: Season One, Coop and his pals, Sparks, Mac, Brights, Axle, and Sidecar, are selected for a racing camp at the Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage. The children’s animated series on Netflix depicts Coop and his friends’ efforts to get the most flame badges as their skills are tested. The one who has the most badges by the end of the camp wins the coveted title of “Camp Champ.”

The pressure to win the Camp Champ title stirs up some rivalry every now and then, but the children’s mentor, Dash Wheeler, is there to guide them. She rewards them when they do something right and penalizes them when they do something wrong. Aside from developing their racing skills, the children’s talents are often needed to stop the town’s evil anti-auto menace, Professor Rearview. Any day they can save the city from his wrath is a good day, no flame badges needed.

Coop and his friends learn that what’s important is usually the people around them, not the racing or the flame badges. Dash tries to teach them that having integrity is one of the most important qualities of being a Hot Wheels racer. While the team sometimes has to pair up and work together, they learn the importance of thinking independently, too.

HOT WHEELS LET’S RACE is well-made and has a great cast of lively voices. It has lots of action and features animated depictions of Mattel’s classic Hot Wheels toys, with bright orange racing tracks and popular cars like the “The Carbonator” and the “Rodger Dodger.” The art style is not particularly unique and is similar to other animated shows like GO, DOG, GO! and PJ MASKS, but it’s still very engaging. The plot is also well thought out and designed with a second season in mind. Each character has a purpose, and all of them, either together or individually, experience significant character development.

The worldview displayed throughout Season One is very moral. Each episode teaches a lesson. The storytelling encourages good sportsmanship, honesty, being original instead of copying others, responsibility, bravery, working together, apologizing when someone realizes they’ve done something wrong, overcoming fears, not to assume the worst of others, being a good leader, making sacrifices, and being a good friend. Also, it discourages over-competitiveness and fighting and always shows a negative consequence for such behavior. One episode does feature a car called the “Bone Shaker,” which is rumored to have been struck by lightning before it seemingly became possessed or turned into a ghost, moving by itself without a driver. In the end, however, there is no ghost. Also, each Hot Wheel car also has a special power that works like magic, although the word “magic” isn’t used. Finally, there’s some light bullying between a few characters, with the meanest behavior being racecar sabotage and calling other racers “babies.” There is also some brief, light scatological humor.

HOT WHEELS LET’S RACE: Season One has some danger and peril. Things frequently happen to the children, and they’re always just fine, but if the same thing were to happen in real life, a driver would be dead. For example, the young racers occasionally fall in their cars from great heights onto the yellow Hot Wheels track while they race or chase something. If young children were to try to connect the show to real life, they would not understand the real-life dangers. Very young viewers might also be scared by a menacing-looking giant cobra, octopus and dragon that appear throughout the series.

Overall, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children for Season One of HOT WHEELS LET’S RACE.