Heathcliff and Marmaduke

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Slapstick animal toons are fine, if not inspiring.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that these '80s cartoons, while mild in many ways, aren't nearly as politically correct as those made today. All the heroes are male, and female characters (and sometimes even minorities) tend to appear in stereotypical guises and minor roles. There is some slapstick cartoon violence as well -- which is sometimes used to resolve conflicts.

  • In the Marmaduke cartoons, the mayhem invariably results not from bad intentions but from the dog's size and clumsiness. Though Heathcliff responds to neighborhood bullies with violence, he never starts it and insists he would prefer to be friends. Some dated gender roles -- the heroes are always the male characters.
  • Very mild cartoon violence. No weapons -- cats and dogs fight within a spinning cloud of dust, striking one another, etc.
  • Not applicable.

What's the story?

HEATHCLIFF AND MARMADUKE ran for only a single season on ABC, although Heathcliff appeared with other characters -- including Dingbat and the Catillac Cats -- in other cartoons both before and after this iteration. Here, the Garfield-esque orange tabby defends himself easily from neighborhood bully Spike using his greater strength and craftiness. Meanwhile, Marmaduke's predicaments are the result of a combination of good intentions, great size, and native clumsiness (and very little guile).


Is it any good?

 

The one thing that makes this show different -- and even a little refreshing -- is that none of the characters are actually out to eat or deceive one another. It's impossible to find any real malice even in Spike, who doesn't want to hurt Heathcliff, but rather prove himself the stronger to his friends. Kids might even relate to the situation and envy Heathcliff his easy solution. That said, the plots aren't original, and the animation is nothing special. Overall, Heathcliff and Marmaduke is fine, if not particularly inspiring, viewing.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about why TV producers would want to make cartoons based on characters in newspaper comic strips. Do you think that would make kids more likely to watch them? Why or why not? Can you think of any characters from other media that have become cartoons today?


This review was written by KJ Dell Antonia
Kid, 12 years old
May 19, 2010
 
good.
Like the original Heathclif, but I never seen another version like that before.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
May 19, 2010
 
good.
Like the original Heathclif, but I never seen another version like that before.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
May 19, 2010
 
good.
Like the original Heathclif, but I never seen another version like that before.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
January 18, 2012
 
fine
Slapstick animal toons are fine, if not inspiring

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by KJ Dell Antonia
TV rating:TV-G
Network:Boomerang
Cast:Frank Welker, Mel Blanc, Paul Winchell
Genre:Kids' Animation

This review was written by KJ Dell Antonia
 

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About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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