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Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this futuristic cartoon centers on the ongoing struggle between a dominant evil empire and a small group of civic-minded rebels. Some of the characters have special powers like telekinesis that they use to battle their enemies (both human and robotic), and the sky is often filled with warring spacecraft attempting to shoot each other down. Add to this the emotional struggle of a mother separated from her kids when she's kidnapped by the bad guys, and it's clear that this one's not for the littlest viewers. That said, the show's strong characters (especially the female ones) and intriguing, Star Wars-like storyline combine to make this a fun choice for tweens to adults.

Families can talk about different systems of government. What does democracy mean? How do Americans participate in our own democracy? How do your kids participate in democracy in their lives? What are some other ways countries are governed? How are the various systems different? What are the advantages and drawbacks of each? Also, for kids who've seen the Star Wars films, how is this series similar to those movies? Do you think that's on purpose?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Emily Ashby

Set in the year 2251, SKYLAND follows a heroic pair of siblings on their quest to help overturn a ruthless government. Known as the Sphere, the group controls the world's limited water supply -- and thus dominates the millions of chunks of land that scattered after Earth broke apart (they now orbit a core called Skyland). Mahad (voiced by Tim Hamaguchi), who's 17, and his 12-year-old sister, Lena (Phoebe McAuley), are on a personal mission as well, since power-hungry Sphere leader Oslo (Juan Chioran) has kidnapped their mother to force her allegiance to him.

Sensing her impending capture, Mila (Alex Belcourt) had revealed to her kids that she was a Seijin -- a master of telekinetic and other mysterious powers -- and that her abilities made her invaluable to the Sphere. Also a powerful Seijin, the evil Oslo believes that a union with Mila would result in his uncontested dominance over Skyland. Since Lena has strong powers, too, Mila sends her and Mahad away for their safety, turning them over to the care of the philosophical Vector (William Colgate), an old friend of Mila's whom the kids have never met.

The Vector and his associates, led by veteran Aran Cortes (Jack Langedijk), head the brave but outnumbered rebellion against the Sphere. Mahad and Lena join the crusade and begin unravel the mysteries of their past, including their father's long-unexplained absence.

Beautifully animated, Skyland is packed with drama and adventure, space-traveling action, struggles between good and evil, multi-dimensional characters, and enough mystery to entertain tweens to adults. But frequent explosive battles between humans and robots and subject matter like kidnapping, wrongful imprisonment, separation of families, and supernatural abilities make this one iffy for younger kids.

If you're familiar with the epic Star Wars saga, you may find Skyland's plot suspiciously familiar. Just a few of the parallels: Oslo is a modified human with an army of identical subordinates; Mahad can be hot-headed and impulsive and must be tempered by the older, gruffer Cortes; Seijin powers bear strong resemblance to those of the Jedi; Vector's personality and philosophical tendencies bring to mind the iconic Obi-Wan; and the Sphere's headquarters is pretty much a rectangular version of the Death Star.

But if you can look past the plot cribbing, you'll find that Skyland's well-played mystique, complex characters, and enticing storyline combine with fantastic, cutting-edge animation to make it a highly respectable copycat.

Fans may also like the Star Wars movies or Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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Content
		CS	adults	kids
Sexual Content
Violence Explosive battles between spacecraft and among humans and robots, though no humans are injured. One character uses a boomerang to slice through robots.
Language
Message
	Social Behavior Strong female characters are prevalent, and the good guys always work for the greater good even when it means a sacrifice on their part.
	Commercialism
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco

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