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Kids’ movies and sports dramas tend to follow the same storyline: one seemingly average yet highly underrated character—or team—defies the odds to do something truly great. And while the family-friendly Australian hit, Paper Planes, doesn’t stray too far from the standard plotlines, it’s still a charming drama with a setup that’s completely out of the ordinary.
Paper Planes follows a 12-year-old boy on his quest to compete in the World Junior Paper Plane Championships. When a student teacher comes to his class to talk about paper planes, Dylan (Ed Oxenbould) makes a plane that soars across the school. His teacher encourages him to enter a local competition, and as he studies flight, hoping to find the best design, everyone offers their advice—even his widowed dad (Sam Worthington), who’s barely gotten off the couch in months. And though Dylan sets out in hopes of winning the competition, he learns about friendship and family along the way.
Like most lovable underdog movies, Paper Planes works within the tried and true formulas. It features all of the usual highs and lows: the challenges, the triumphs, and the disappointments. But it does so in a way that’s pretty effective; it tickles your funny bone and tugs at your heartstrings at all the right times.
And there’s more to this movie than just the same old against-all-odds clichés. Of course, the fact that it focuses on a kid in a paper airplane competition—instead of yet another down-and-out football team—is enough to make it stand out. But its delightful cast of eccentric characters makes it even more enjoyable.
Though Oxenbould tends to overplay his part, he’s still a likable lead: perfectly average yet sweet and dedicated and sometimes wise beyond his years. But it’s the supporting cast that gives the film its personality—from the school smart aleck, who becomes one of Dylan’s greatest supporters, to Dylan’s wacky grandpa, the most eligible bachelor at the nursing home, who’s not above breaking and entering or ambulance theft if it means helping his favorite grandson. And just when things get a little too silly, Worthington is there to add a few dramatic touches. Throw in some intriguing cultural touches—as Dylan’s journey takes him from his home on the plains of New South Wales to Sydney and beyond—and you’ve got a pleasingly cheesy and altogether charming adventure.
It may not tell a story that’s new or surprising, but Paper Planes is playful and imaginative and upbeat—a fun-filled family film that’s guaranteed to turn into a hands-on family activity once the closing credits roll.
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