D3: The Mighty Ducks

MPAA Rating: PG

Entertainment: +2 1/2

Content: +2

The fun-loving Mighty Ducks ice hockey team, which began as a rag-tag neighborhood bunch and then won a Junior Goodwill Games championship, now meets new challenges in its third feature film. Coach Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) has a new job that puts him on the road, but the players receive scholarships to the exclusive Eden Hall Academy. The team's disappointment at losing their coach affects their attitude towards their new leader, Coach Orion (Jeffrey Nordling), a no-nonsense kind of guy. Eden Hall's varsity team and other snobbish students also treat these newcomers as though they were scum, adding to the Ducks' unhappiness. Orion strips Charlie (Joshua Jackson), the leader of the Ducks, of his position as team captain, and Charlie soon walks out on the team. In spite of all their tribulations, however, the likable kids provide lots of laughs within the stuffy walls of Eden Hall. The Ducks' struggle to win back their reputation includes lots of action on the ice and will delight young sports enthusiasts. For general audiences, this third go-around for the Ducks might not be so charming, but it's targeted for the eight to 14-year-olds who will gleefully cheer the good guys and jeer the bad ones.

The Mighty Ducks all learn the difficulty of adjusting to new situations. Charlie snarls, sulks and refuses to accept Coach Orion's strict rules when he discovers that he cannot rest on his past laurels as team captain. He quits the team expecting the others to follow, but only one does. It takes his former coach to help Charlie realize he is on the brink of losing his scholarship and his friends. The kids discover the importance of discipline, good grades and teamwork in order to be champions on the ice and in life. Because the game of hockey can be rough, the game action includes many painful falls and some pushing and shoving. Fights break out and cutthroat illegal plays are utilized, but no one is seriously hurt. The Ducks borrow some Brazilian fire ants from the biology lab and turn them loose on sleeping varsity team members to retaliate for one of their cruel jokes. That incident, plus the film's one regular profanity and a few crudities, are the only reasons for its PG rating.

Preview Reviewer: Mary Draughon
Distributor:
Buena Vista/Walt Disney Pictures, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521

Summary
The following categories contain objective listings of film content which contribute to the subjective numeric Content ratings posted to the left and on the Home page.

Crude Language: Several (6) times - Mild 4, Moderate 2

Obscene Language: None

Profanity: Once - Regular (J)

Violence: Several times - Moderate (rough hockey action with fighting, pushing and shoving; boy on runaway roller skates; biting ants released to attack sleeping boys)

Sex: None

Nudity: None

Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: Once (boy crawls under table to look up girls' skirts)

Drugs: None

Other: Importance of hard work, education and teamwork stressed

Running Time:
Intended Audience: Ages 8 to 14


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