Super Wings may not mean a lot to many adults, but in the kid world it’s a phenomenon. The TV cartoon, made in collaboration between South Korea and China, has over 400 episodes, two Emmy nominations, and a merchandise empire. Inevitably, a big screen spin-off has arrived, hoping to catch the half term crowds in a few weeks.
The computer animated caper follows Jett, a delivery plane who is the fastest in his fleet. After unwittingly going viral delivering a package to influencer Pei, he crosses paths with a villainous toy maker named Billy Willy, who seeks to end the social media platform Froggle by capturing its most famous users.
It ‘s curious that Super Wings, which is aimed at very young kids, would anchor its plot in social media, and parents anxious about screen time may not appreciate the glamorous way influencers and likes are glamorised. However, it proves more of a jumping off point for a harmless adventure, aided by slick animation and charmingly terrible dialogue (“with Jet Speed comes Jet Accountability”). Older viewers may be reminded of Wacky Races, where reasoning and motive comes second to entertainment, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing given the intended audience.
There are all the ingredients you would expect, including big, colourful chase scenes, cackling villains, and a vague moral message about the power of expressing yourself. Like so many of these films, it’s an episode of the cartoons with a longer running time and a few more flashy moments. At around 85 minutes, the breakneck pace means this won’t test anyone’s attention spans.
Super Wings isn’t Pixar or Dreamworks, and may leave parents a bit detached (particularly if this is destined for repeat viewing). However, as a colourful distraction for pre-schoolers, it delivers.
Super Wings: Maximum Speed is in cinemas now