 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Monster Rancher series
- Review Date: March 28, 2005
- NR
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2000
Common Sense Media says
A mediocre Pokemon clone.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the best that can be said about this series based on a video game is that it is a clone of Pokemon and Digimon: Digital Monsters. It ranges from grating to merely adequate. It's probably best to stick with the far superior originals, but if your child decides this series is right for them, it's best to know that there are a lot of battles, though cartoonish in nature, and that the show may encourage kids to get the video game.
What's the story?
Borrowing shamelessly from both Pokémon and Digimon, this four-part series follows a young video gamer who finds himself in an alternate world where humans and "good monsters" are allied in a fight against "bad monsters." After first gaining success as a video game, the Japanese-animated TV series Monster Rancher premiered in both Japan and the U.S. in 1999. Appealing mainly to adolescents, the stories are wildly varied in tone, but distinguished by slick, colorful animation and several exciting action scenes. Still those who might be interested in this series would probably be better sticking with the Pokémon series.
Is it any good?
The animation is fairly attractive, although it lacks the directness and purity of Pokémon: I Choose You Pikachu and the overall polished design of Digimon. Each episode is interrupted by a brief rap interlude, in which the singer urges viewers to "unlock your disk," a reference to the means by which monsters trapped in disks are freed. The voice-acting by the English dubbing cast ranges from grating to merely adequate.
This series of four videos starts with Vol. 1: Let the Games Begin! and ends with Vol. 4: The Problem with Pixie.
Fast Friends and Fiendish Foes is probably the best of the lot, which isn't saying much. It still contains a good deal of uneven story telling.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how this series tries to mirror Pokemon and Digimon. Why do you think the creators tried to copy them, and what are the advantages and disadvantages to coming up with completely original material? Can you think of other "copycat" examples, in film/videos, video games, TV programs, and even books?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Okay, I just gotta say this
It seems every time a show about pet monsters is made, EVERYONE calls it a Pokemon clone without a second thought. Monster Rancher is nothing LIKE Pokemon. Do Pokemon originate as discs that need to be brought back to life? Does Pokemon have an actual plot to it? Do characters actually die in Pokemon? *Clock ticks* Oh, you mean Pokemon doesn't meet ANY of those standards!? Gaspeth!
But really, I only label violence as bad because a lot of characters "die". (Get turned into mystery discs) I'll at least give you credit for not giving this show a negative review, CS. Anyway, out of all the shows, Pokemon, Digimon, and Monster Rancher, this one was truly the best and sadly the most underrated. It had the best plot and even had a lot of unexpected turns, such as all the monsters sacrificing themselves to the phoenix at the end of season 1.
All in all, I like this one the most as it wasn't afraid to let awesome characters die.
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Studio: | The Ocean Group |
| Director: | Tom Putnam |
| Cast: | Andrew Francis, Paul Dobson, Scott McNeil |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 65 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | September 18, 2000 |
| DVD release date: | September 18, 2000 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
| MPAA explanation: | not rated |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
