FOR the PARENTS

Plenty of Spice

FLAMIN HOT

Searchlight Pictures, Rated: PG-13

Streaming on Hulu and Disney Plus

OVERLOOKING THE QUESTION of who really invented one of the most popular snack flavors of all time, the new feature Flamin Hot is a version that crackles with inspiration, initiative, and cultural pride. Loosely based on Richard Montanez’s biography, the film takes its audience on an eye-opening journey through a young man’s early life, which could have ended with him in prison. Instead, Richard turns away from drugs and crime to become a janitor at the Frito-Lay company where he meets the people who will change his life. Not all of them are supportive or tolerant, but because of his dogged interest in the machinery and the desire to better himself, he becomes the protégé of one of the plant engineers. When hard times hit and sales slump, Richard comes up with the idea to add a flavor kick to Cheetos with the hope that it’ll save the factory. He enlists his family, his neighbors, his community, and hilarity, an adorable crocodile with a squeaky toy, and two young people who eventually discover that opposites attract. The computer animation rivals that of any major production, and the soundtrack includes throwbacks from the Warner Bros library plus great new music. Mummies stretches the time-travel logic a bit, but younger audiences will love the fast pace, the mayhem, and the goofy jokes. ✦ eventually the entire factory to get behind his new Flamin Hot flavor sensation. The road to success is never easy, and sometimes the film is a bit overpacked with clichés, but ultimately Flamin Hot leaves a great aftertaste and the feel-good satisfaction that hard work pays off. laneaudubon.org/audubon-adventures

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