The Dirt Bike Kid

PG

Released Nov 1, 1985

1 hr. 30 min.

Adventure

List

Reviews

58%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A teenager (Peter Billingsley) and his magic motorcycle stop a banker (Stuart Pankin) out to close a friend's hot-dog stand.

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Audience Member

If you were a kid that grew up in Ellwood City, you were looking to rent one of three movies that were the hottest of childhood commodities: Rad, Thrashin' and The Dirt Bike Kid. Who doesn't want to watch Peter Billingsley go one on one with Stuart Pankin over a magical dirt bike? Having this movie for the night was a near mythic power trip and I still wonder, why didn't the video store get another copy? Did they not care about the children? Billingsley — wearing the exact same pair of glasses that he wore as Ralphie in A Christmas Story — is Jack Simmons, Pankin is the town's banker Mr. Hodgkins and Jack's mom Janet is played by Anne Bloom, making this a Not Necessarily the News reunion for her, Pankin, Danny Breen (who plays Flaherty) and director Hoite C. Caston, who also made thirty-two episodes of that HBO comedy series. But isn't the real star the 1985 Yamaha YZ80 that Jack buys for $50 that is filled with occult energy? The idea for this came from Julie Corman and she has the same carny instincts as her husband, knowing that young kids would need something to rent along with their parents and older brothers and sisters. She made this for $800,000 and it moved 100,000 tapes, back in the day when rental copies cost ninety bucks. Never doubt a Corman when it comes to making money.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

I thought it was a fun, enjoyable movie, Stuart Pankin does a great job playing Mr. Hodgkins who is a greedy, evil banker who you'd love to hate, Peter Billingsley does a good job playing Jack who went above and beyond to save his baseball coach's doghouse that sells food.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

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Audience Member

Loved this movie as a kid

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

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Audience Member

This movie is part of my childhood, I enjoy this movie when I was a Kid, wow that was alots fun

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

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Audience Member

A kid uses the special magical powers of his new dirt bike (purchased with $50 of mom's grocery money) to stop the bank from foreclosing on the local hot dog restaurant, something the whole community seems to rally around.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

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Audience Member

Definitely one of a class that has sadly been put to rest. Loved this movie!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

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Hoite C. Caston

Director

Peter Billingsley

Jack Simmons

Stuart Pankin

Mr. Hodgkins

Anne Bloom

Janet Simmons

Patrick Collins

Mike

Danny Breen

Flaherty

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Michael Wilmington

Los Angeles Times

The special effects often seem to consist of dragging the dirt bike around on a string or having the actors flail their arms in astonishment while riding it.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 17, 2012

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Roger Hurlburt

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Within minutes, youngsters and adults alike will feel the magic and high-wheeling fun of this offbeat and entertaining film. Billingsley steals the picture, with his winning energy and great delivery.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 17, 2012

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TV Guide

Viewers might want to watch this with a checklist to keep track of numerous lifts from E.T. The film's other big problem is that it's just plain stupid.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 17, 2012

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Synopsis

A teenager (Peter Billingsley) and his magic motorcycle stop a banker (Stuart Pankin) out to close a friend's hot-dog stand.

Director: Hoite C. Caston
Production Co: Trinity Entertainment, FilmDallas Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 1, 1985, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 21, 2018

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