Kim Possible - TV-G
TV Rating: TV-G
Network: ABC, Disney Channel Cast: Will Friedle, Christy Carlson Romano, Nancy Cartwright
Genre: Children, Cartoons, & Animation
Available on: 
DVDDownloadCell phone
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that Kim is a good role model in that she's smart and independent, but her profession makes for a surprisingly violent cartoon. Some episodes involve family, but mostly Kim and Ron operate in their own dangerous world. Villains are as goofy as they are treacherous and probably won't scare kids. Some women and men characters are drawn quite voluptuously, including Kim, whose outfits always show her navel.
Families can discuss the nature of Kim's lifestyle. Does trouble find her, or does she go looking for trouble? Is she a role model for young girls in any way? Do kids find it "different" to have a girl as the lead, and the boy as her sidekick?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Betsy Wallace
KIM POSSIBLE capitalizes on the female villain-fighting craze that sparked with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Alias. The series tones this concept down for younger kids and has a lot of fun with it -- giving Kim (Christy Carlson Romano) a timid male sidekick named Ron Stoppable (Will Friedle) and throwing in his naked mole rat Rufus for laughs.
Like that of the PowerPuff Girls, the world Kim lives in is colored hip and retro, playing off spy movies of the '60s and '70s as it delivers a campy take on Mission Impossible.
The show's mature humor and high school characters entertain older kids and preteens. Kim's parents, Dr. and Dr. Possible (Gary Cole and Jean Smart) are available at all the necessary moments. Because it's from Disney and is kids' programming, you'll also find a morsel of educational value here.
In one episode, for example, Ron questions what kind of man he is and, until he learns better, thinks he needs big muscles. And Kim learns that words can have a strong, sometimes unintended effect and to be careful trying to change a friend.
But the lessons get pretty muddled and nearly lost as our heroes shimmy up rope ladders dangling from helicopters and dodge spinning tops of doom. As long as you're not expecting too much in the way of educational value, you'll probably have plenty of fun with this one.
Kids might also want to check out The Life and Times of Juniper Lee or W.I.T.C.H..
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentSome revealing outfits and voluptuous characters. In later seasons, Kim and her boyfriend kiss. |
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ViolenceFrequent action-hero violence, including hitting and kicking. Kim carries a device that looks like a gun but shoots a grappling hook. |
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Social BehaviorThe main characters value friends, family, and saving the world. One African-American and one Jewish main character. Social cliques exist at the high school, and some kids reject others. Clever, sometimes sarcastic humor aiming for the middle-school set. |
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CommercialismKim never goes anywhere without her high-tech handheld device. She has a computer in her locker and private jets, helicopters, jet skis, etc., at her disposal. |
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