 | 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. |
Dino Squad
- CBS
- Genre: Kids' Animation
Common Sense Media says
Tween cartoon offers action but little substance.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that young children may be alarmed by the frequent animated human-to-dinosaur transformations and the battle scenes among the fierce-looking prehistoric creatures, but the bloodless fantasy violence won't bother the show's target tween audience. While this action cartoon doesn't have too much questionable content, it's also short on strongly positive messages -- aside from the recurring theme of teamwork (the core group of mismatched teens must learn to overcome their differences and work together to counter a villain).
What's the story?
A science class field trip takes an unexpected turn for five teens, Fiona, Buzz, Caruso, Rodger, and Max, who accidentally encounter a primordial goo that alters their DNA and causes them to transform into dinosaurs. They soon learn that their science teacher, Ms. Moynihan, and local businessman Victor Veloci are actually distant descendants of two ancient Velociraptors who survived the dinosaurs' extinction millions of years ago. Through time, the lone surviving species have evolved and adapted, leaving them unrecognizable as anything but the humans they appear to be. Veloci has developed a solution that can change any living being's DNA, reverting it back to a prehistoric version of itself, and intends to return the world to the Mesozoic era -- the height of the dinosaurs' heyday. DINO SQUAD follows the adventures of the dinosaur-morphing teens as they work against the nefarious plot to return all living things to prehistoric form.
Is it any good?
Dino Squad is sure to be a popular choice among tween boys thanks to its combination of fantasy and action. And aside from some physical altercations among fierce-looking dinosaurs (there's no blood or death), there's really little for parents to worry about. That said, the show comes up short on the positive as well, making few attempts to teach any lessons aside from the recurring theme of the importance of teamwork. The most young viewers can hope to learn -- if they don't already know it, of course -- is how to recognize and identify the various dinosaur species.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about cartoon violence. How is watching animated battles different from seeing live-action fighting? Are fantasy clashes less upsetting than more realistic ones? Why or why not?
Kids: What do you know about how
dinosaurs became extinct? What species of dinosaurs can you identify? How do the different
types compare in size, strength, defenses, diet, etc.?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
"Overcooked, underdone."
While it has everything that a 7 year-old boy would love, it also had hard and painful environmental messages that it shoved done your throat at every opportunity. So it was a tad preachy.
The only reason I still watch it every saturday is because I hope that one day the characters will develop. I don't think it really has any violence. Mostly they just herd up Dino-bees then chill em and spill em.
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AGE
Lost Opportunity
Having worked in kids television off and on for almost 17 years I have strong feelings when it comes to squandered opportunities. Sadly, there are two new dinosaur series that both fall flat. "Dinosaur King" on FOX -a Pokemon clone with super-powered dinosaurs... and "Dino Squad" on CBS and its throw-away storyline about infected teens turning into dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are the perfect vehicle for teaching science... real science. And you wouldn't even have to sacrifice action, comedy, or character development. Could I do better? You bet I could!
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| Topics: | dinosaurs, magic and fantasy, adventures |
| TV rating: | TV-Y7 |
| Network: | CBS |
| Cast: | Ben Beck, Ian Eli Lee |
| Genre: | Kids' Animation |
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