'Down and Derby': Pleasantly innocuous and not too boring

The "sins" of the fathers are visited on their sons in "Down and Derby," an amiable, albeit somewhat lame family film that often calls to mind those Dean Jones Disney movies from the early '70s.

A boyhood prologue establishes that our hero, Phil, and his two best pals have always resented the new kid in town, the too-blond, too-perfect Ace, who never loses at anything. In a fairly funny joke later on, the grown-up Ace's (Marc Raymond) answering machine is loaded with information on one contest after another he's won.

Stonehaven Media 'Down and Derby' C The verdict: Nothing special, but nothing painful, either. Director: Eric Hendershot Starring: Greg Germann, Lauren Holly, Pat Morita, Hunter Tylo, Robert Costanzo, Perry Anzilotti Run time: 93 minutes Release date: April 15, 2005 Rating: PG for some crude humor, sensuality and brief mild language. On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate "Down and Derby"   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

But he's not going to win — um, make that, his son isn't going to win — the Boy (and Girl) Scout-sponsored Pinewood Derby in which the entries are miniature cars the boys make out of a seven-inch pinewood block, with some help from their dads.

At least that's the way it's supposed to work. But Phil (Greg Germann), Big Jimmy (Perry Anzilotti) and Blaine (Ross Brockley) act out their mutual arrested adolescence by taking the model-building away from their kids. For example, when Phil's son shows him his crayon drawing of a car design, dear ol' fanatical dad whips out a professionally done blueprint for his idea.

After being shut out by all three dads, the boys quickly realize they can get cash and ATM cards merely by offering to stay around to help.

This thread is amusing and even somewhat insightful when it comes to the increasingly problematic phenomenon of overly competitive parents.

Unfortunately, the bulk of the movie is devoted to generic and familiar gags: the guys getting trapped in Ace's house, where they've gone to steal something; the reactions of some comical Japanese businessmen whose project Phil neglects in favor of building a race track in his bedroom — much to the chagrin of his pert wife (Lauren Holly).

The cast is all right, and some of the cars at the climactic contest are pretty neat. If you're looking for something pleasantly innocuous and not too boring to take the kids to, here's your movie. That's like saying there's worse stuff out there, but that's pretty much the deal.