Movie Review: The Sandlot 3: Heading Home
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this film features some immature
kid behavior: sneaking into a movie theater, breaking into an
abandoned house, and stealing baseball equipment. But the
larger lesson that Tommy learns is that he doesn't have to
always be bigger and better, and that he doesn't have to be a
jerk to be successful. Expect a little bit of mild language
("fat ass," etc.).
Families can talk about Tommy's transformation. Do you ever feel pressure to sell out your friends to get something you really want? Do you ever want something so badly that you're willing to do anything and hurt anyone to do it? What do you think would happen if you stuck to what you know is true for yourself? Families can also discuss the appeal of sports movies, especially those featuring underdogs. Why are they so much fun to watch?
Common Sense Media Review
If you mixed
Back to the Future
with
A Christmas Carol
and sprinkled in a liberal dose of baseball fandom, you'd
end up with THE SANDLOT 3: HEADING HOME, a sweet, fun baseball
movie that entertains while it instructs.
Tommy Santorelli (a surprisingly fun Luke Perry) is no Lou Gehrig. He calls himself "Santa" -- as in, "It's a gift for people to watch me play." And he's just as arrogant as that explanation implies. Tommy jumps from team to team, looking for the biggest paycheck. When he gets it, he drags down morale by being a jerk, not remembering the names of his team members, and insulting their skills.
What he needs is an attitude adjustment, and he gets it in the form of a baseball to his noggin. When he awakens, he's 13 years old again, playing in the sandlot in his hometown. This was where he sold out the first time: To make it to a baseball prep school, he switches teams and ensures that the beloved sandlot will be torn down. But this time, he has a chance to do it differently. Can he put friendship first this time?
There are so many delightful things about this film. They're all derivative, of course. The boobytrapped house in which a giant baseball rolls down the staircase after Tommy brings to mind the iconic boulder scene in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark . The kids' madcap scrambling around the movie theater recalls any classic screwball film. Tommy's confrontation with the town bully is reminiscent of The Karate Kid . And the threat to lose the sandlot is comically similar to the plot of The Brady Bunch Movie.
Still, even the predictable plot twists are handled with such a kind heart and light touch by director William Dear that you hardly mind. The film is effective and fun, and for young children who've never seen the earlier films, they're likely to delight.
People who enjoy this film may enjoy the first two Sandlot films, The Sandlot and The Sandlot 2 . Or try The Goonies , Field of Dreams , and Everyone's Hero .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
