Level Up

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Fantasy series dials back violence, ups the laughs for kids.
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 Level Up is more age-appropriate for a younger audience than the original movie, thanks to the fact that there's less violence and more goofy humor surrounding the interactions between the characters and the video game cross-overs. Expect a fair amount of silliness as the teens pull out all the stops to keep the portal and its users a secret from the general public. The show doesn't set out to teach any lessons, but you can draw your kids' attention to the teens' efforts to relate to and work with each other despite their differences. The show paints a pretty unrealistic picture of teen life in general, but that's to be expected in a show so rooted in fantasy.

  • The show intends to entertain rather than educate.
  • The series is rooted in fantasy, so few of the scenarios have real-life results, and the characters rarely learn lessons from their actions. The good news is that they're a diverse bunch, and their success as a team depends on their ability to look past their differences and find common ground.
  • The teens are left to their own devices most of the time, and many of their decisions would be questionable in the real world. That said, their motivations typically are solid, and while their actions sometimes cause mayhem, no one gets hurt.
  • Fantasy violence includes laser guns, fireballs, explosions, fistfights, and some slapping and throwing. Weapons are likenesses of those found in video games and come into play when the characters encounter their online adversaries in the real world.

What's the story?

The online gaming realm crosses over into the real world with unpredictable results in LEVEL UP, a comedy series inspired by the TV movie of the same name. Gamers Dante (Connor del Rio), Lyle (Jessie T. Usher), and Wyatt (Gaelan Connell) team up with their friend Angie (Aimee Carrero) to intercept the characters who cross over from their favorite MMO game, Conqueror of All Worlds, through a dimension portal. As if thwarting the game villains isn't hard enough, they also find themselves babysitting some of the less nefarious arrivals until they can send them back to their own dimension, which is no easy task when you're trying to keep up appearances as normal teens.


Is it any good?

 

Level Up picks up shortly after the conclusion of its movie predecessor, breaking right into the action with very little background on either the characters or the evolution of the portal itself. It won't take long for newcomers to get familiar with the basic plot points or the main cast, but it's a lot more fun if you're up to speed with both before the show starts.

If your kids are coming to the series by way of the movie, they'll find more of the same outrageous happenings in a place where barbarians, elves, and monsters of all shapes and sizes make an appearance. On the upside, the show focuses less on the clashes between the teens and the game cross-overs that marked the movie and more on the hilarious lengths to which the gamers have to go to keep the visitors under wraps, which means more laughs and less violence and opens it up to a younger crowd of kids.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about video games. What are some of your favorite game characters? How do video games allow you to step outside yourself and take on a new persona? Does playing video games ever change how you look at the real world?

  • Kids: What are your family's rules about screen time? What kinds of devices use screens? Why is it important to limit your time with them? Do you think they can influence your ability to relate to people and get along in the real world?

  • Which TV, movie, or book characters would you most like to meet if you could? What would you ask them? How do you think learning more about them might change how you feel about their stories?


This review was written by Emily Ashby
Teen, 14 years old
February 8, 2012
 
Give Level Up a break...
Well, believe it or not I actually LIKE the show! There's really nothing too inappropiate in the show minus one episode's mention of "wuss" several times. Yes, the monster graphics are a bit corny, but to be honest what other monster movie or show isn't? I personally think the show is really funny. Wyatt is my favorite character. I think the reason everyone is slamming this show is because it came from Cartoonetwork, there's no cursing, and it isn't "reality tv show" enough for their tastes. The acting isn't that bad it won't win an award but its decent! People are expecting a Steven Spielberg movie out of a cartoonetwork, tv show! Ugh, if someone were to knock reality tv shows like "Basketball wifes or Jersey Shore" the majority of people would come to that show's defense. Yet, no one sticks up for this show? I really hope Level Up doesn't get cancel, because people's taste is too vulgar for a simple-minded tv show.

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Teen, 15 years old
January 29, 2012
 
Spongebob for toddlers!
I would rather watch The Secret World Of Alex Meck,I would rather watch Barney,I would rather loose a leg! Anything but this! If you like SpongeBob you'll probaly want Level Up destroyed.The jokes are unfunny and the voice acting is god awful.Also,it is FILLED with clich'es! The characters in the show make me sick! I hate them because they do nothing to make me care for them.The backround is just dumb.It is dark,it is hard to see,and it looked like it 1 HOUR to make it! The plots are just awful! They are so predictible! Those teenagers face lame villains with video game contests! I like video games but the repition in the show is boring and annoying! The music is horrible.It is extremly LOUD! I can't stand the theme song! It is really annoying! So the way I see this show it is a frame story.Kinda like MAD (another show that is a complete waste of time!) So please don't waste your time.Even THINKING of putting a single minute of it is a complete waste! This is just the bad version of SpongeBob.

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Kid, 12 years old
January 27, 2012
 
Crappy, the crappiest of all
boring , the worst show anyone could ever make, it is a waste of time and money , it sucks, and it doesn't give any role models or positive messages to viewers, it drives them to be geeks , its poison for the mind , its the worst show of all time , Not even geeks like this show -_- , NOT RECOMMENDED TO ANYONE , THIS SHOW IS JUST TERRIBLE

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Parent
February 4, 2012
 
don't watch it
honestly i think it will make my 10 year old stupid it has monsters that look like a 7 yr old drew it

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Kid, 13 years old
March 29, 2012
 
this is the worst show on cartoon network
The stupidity level is HUGE adults act like jerks and the plot is OVER USED. Nothing in this show is orignal. Not even the horrble jags and jokes. Its just a simple rip-off of every single gameing show period. The worst part is the game based of the movie is just a cheap imatation of world of warcraft (WOW for short) and League Of Ledgends (LOL for short) please pass this series by on the way out the door. cartoon network should stop competeing with nickalodeon and disney. Both networks are just crap fillters for live-action shows...

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Teen, 16 years old
February 29, 2012
 
Avoid this unless you are a stoner!
Level Up is HORRIBLE! Everything about it is downright terrible! From the jokes to the voice acting! Watch The Wild Thornberrys instead!

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Teen, 16 years old
May 27, 2012
 
Wow! This show is BAD! Very BAD!
This show is horrible.It's really boring and stupid.The jokes are dreadful and the voice acting is just...blecch.This is one of the worst shows on Cartoon Network.It's down there with "MAD" and "Almost Naked Animals" in the pit of shame.I hope this show gets canceled and never comes back,EVER!

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Kid, 12 years old
May 23, 2012
 
Level Up is a Level Up
This show is funny and has great actors, animation and plots. Some say that the monster animations look like a 7 year old drew them, I bet no 7 year old could draw that and then animate it. The show in my opinion is wonderful and the positive message and role model in this series is represented by the characters and how they go against all odds and set aside their differences like how each of them fits into a different social group: the jock, the nerd and the class clown. They don't care about the social grouping and they team up to take down the monsters or rather "leaks" as said in the show. The characters are well developed and send out messages that its okay to set aside your own life with your other friends and team up with people who really don't care to be seen with the one person you least be expected to hang out with. I would recommend this show to anyone.

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Kid, 9 years old
May 20, 2012
 
DUMB
One word. Dumb. Don't bother watching this.

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Kid, 12 years old
May 5, 2012
 
Not such a good show
I see this show occasionally and I don't really like it

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This review was written by Emily Ashby
This review was written by Emily Ashby
 

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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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