El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera - TV-Y7

Kid hero wrestles with questionable influences.

TV Rating: TV-Y7 Network: Nickelodeon Cast: Carlos Alazraqui, Grey DeLisle, Alanna Ubach Genre: Children, Cartoons, & Animation
Available on: Download

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that a young female character often encourages her friend to ignore his conscience and lie, cheat, or steal. The two main adult characters offer inconsistent influence over an impressionable boy -- the devoted, upstanding father wants his son to be just like him, but the villainous grandfather hopes his protégé will follow in his evil footsteps. Although after much soul-searching, Manny usually follows his instincts and makes amends for any wrongdoing, in this show, life lessons mostly take a backseat to mischievous fun. Make sure young tweens understand that in real life, iffy behavior has more definite repercussions.

Families can talk about strong role models. Tweens: Who are some of your role models? What do you most admire about them? How do you try to be like them? Parents and kids can also discuss how to make good decisions. How do you handle making a difficult decision? Who do you turn to for help? What kinds of tough decisions have you made? What factors played into your choice? Finally, don't forget to talk about peer pressure. How would you feel if your friends wanted you to do something you knew wasn't right? Would it be difficult to say no to them? Could you do it?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Emily Ashby

For 13-year-old Manny Rivera (voiced by Alanna Ubach), the battle between good and evil hits really close to home. Not surprising, considering that his dad is a superhero and his grandfather is a super-villain -- and they're both vying for his allegiance.

EL TIGRE: THE ADVENTURES OF MANNY RIVERA follows the antics of super-to-be Manny, who lives in the urban melting pot of Miracle City with the two men, both of whom are nominally retired from their prior vocations. Dad Rodolfo (a.k.a. White Pantera) (Eric Bauza) gave up the hero's life for a nine-to-five job so he could focus on fatherhood, but he can't resist battling the evildoers he encounters nearly every day. Granpapi (Carlos Alazraqui) has also called it quits on his own less-honorable endeavors, though Puma Loco (as he's otherwise known) is also easily tempted back into the robbery and swindling for which he became famous.

As for Manny, one twist of his belt buckle transforms him into his own alter ego, El Tigre. He's certain of his unique superpowers but undecided on whether to use them for good or evil. With such inconsistent influence on the home front, he often turns to his feisty best friend, Frida (Grey DeLisle), for guidance -- but her thirst for mischief usually leads them down the road to ruin. In the end, Manny is forced to search his heart and decide where his loyalties truly lie.

El Tigre is the brainchild of Mexican-born husband-and-wife team Jorge R. Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua, who have infused the tween-geared series with touches of Latino culture.

Tweens will enjoy the zany characters and exaggerated stories, but parents might take issue with the young characters' penchant for troublemaking, the absence of a strong role model for Manny, and the overall lack of repercussions for his questionable behavior. The most disappointing aspect of the series is Manny's friendship with Frida, who delights in getting him into sticky situations and relentlessly encourages him to lie and cheat his way out of trouble.

Kids who enjoy superhero tales can also try Justice League Unlimited, The Tick, and The Incredibles.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content
Violence Cartoon violence includes falls from great heights, crashes into walls, and characters beating up on others -- very little of which results in lasting injury.
Language "Dang" is infrequent.
Message
	Social Behavior A grandfather encourages a boy to become a villain, while his upstanding father pushes him toward a more respectable life path. The boy's main influence is a friend who prompts him to lie, steal, and cheat, even when he acknowledges the right thing to do.
	Commercialism
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco