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Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that, much like the Pokemon conglomerate, this anime-style cartoon is based on a card game (and thus part of a merchandising line). Violence is the show's main issue; the dinosaurs do battle multiple times in each episode, and they bite, hit, and collide with each other. Their injuries, though bloodless, can leave them impaired, but the effects are often reversible when the human characters use of a particular game card. Injuries to humans aren't as common, but some end up wearing bandages temporarily.

Families can talk about animated violence. Kids: Do you often see violence in the cartoon shows that you watch? Does it seem real to you? Why or why not? What sets animated violence apart from live-action violence? Do you think seeing fighting on TV can make the people who watch it more violent? Families can also talk about dinosaurs and paleontology. What do you know about how dinosaurs lived and died? Which dinosaurs are your favorites? Why? Would you like to study dinosaurs and other extinct species?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Emily Ashby

In DINOSAUR KING, three kids battle a ruthless group of adults for control of life-size dinosaurs, consistently outwitting -- and overpowering -- the villains as they try for world domination.

Based on a card game from Sega, this anime-style cartoon tells how young Rex, Max, and Zoe stumbled upon the power to summon life-size dinosaurs from the past through the mysterious stones and cards they found on a paleontology excavation with Rex's dad, Dr. Taylor. Turns out the discovery did more than offer the kids an up-close look at these historical specimens -- it also threw them into a violent battle with the nefarious Alpha Gang and its single-minded leader, Dr. Z., who plans to use the massive animals to rule the world.

Each game card has a picture of a dinosaur on it; with the right combination of cards and stones, a player can bring to life a flesh-and-bone animal. The cards are scattered throughout the world, and the race is on between the kids and the Alpha Gang to locate and seize the game pieces. When one is found, both teams race to the site, and the dinosaurs they already control do battle for rights to the newfound one.

In video game style, the challenges also include additional cards that can help the players and their dinosaurs escape sticky situations. Certain move cards, for example, can re-energize wounded dinosaurs or give them additional power.

If all of this is sounding a bit too familiar, you're not alone. Dinosaur King bears plenty of design and plot similarities to the ubiquitous Pokemon conglomerate, so parents who are averse to the connections between TV series and seemingly endless marketing machines may want to steer clear of this one. There's little of substance here anyway, with mostly weak adult characters, no strong positive messages to speak of, and high levels of unrealistically bloodless violence.

Better choices for this age group include Storm Hawks, Oban Star-Racers, and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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Content
		CS	adults	kids
Sexual Content One female adult wears tight, oddly shaded bodysuits that draw attention to her pelvic and chest areas.
Violence Dinosaur attacks are loud and violent. They bite and hit each other -- and humans are sometimes injured, too. There's no blood, but bandages temporarily cover their wounds. In video game fashion, dinosaurs' injuries can be reversed when a character uses a particular "move" card.
Language
Message
	Social Behavior Adults are cast as ineffective and immature, and they often defer to the kids for guidance. Villains are willing to place anyone in danger to reach their goals. A young female character often speaks rudely to adults when she's irritated.
	Commercialism The series is based on a card game from Sega, so young fans may take an interest in the products.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco

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