X-Men

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Entertaining '90s cartoon mixes battles, teamwork.
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 this 1990s cartoon has plenty of animated fantasy/weapons violence, as well as some positive messages about teamwork. The X-Men are mutants who've developed amazing superpowers and have dedicated their lives to using their abilities to help others -- despite the fact that they're frequently subjected to bigotry from some vocal groups of "normal" people, who claim that mutants aren't human and should be exterminated. It's a simple, but powerful, metaphor for racism. The X-Men a diverse bunch drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds, and the huge variety of their powers requires them to work effectively as a team when battling their enemies.

  • Due to the X-Men's differences from "regular" people -- the X-Men are all mutants who've developed amazing superpowers -- they're frequently subjected to bigotry and racism. This animosity often leads to violence, though the X-Men are careful to avoid using their abilities to harm others. They're also a pretty diverse bunch.
  • Plenty of cartoon clashes involving a variety of superpowers. One of the main characters, Wolverine, fights with very sharp blades that emerge from his forearms and seems to relish hand-to-hand combat. The X-Men sometimes take on humans without powers -- who use guns, grenades, and other weapons instead. Despite all the fighting, there's no blood and very few injuries.
  • No sex, though some of the female heroes wear moderately suggestive costumes.

What's the story?

Professor Charles Xavier (voiced by Cedric Smith) is the founder of a very special school where he trains mutants to become the X-MEN, a team of powerful superheroes. His students -- who have all developed amazing powers -- have a wide range of abilities. There's Wolverine (Cathal Dodd), who can extend a set of razor-sharp blades from his forearms; Jean Grey (Catherine Disher), a powerful telepath; Cyclops (Norm Spencer), who shoots energy beams from his eyes; and Storm (Alison Sealy-Smith), who can control the weather. Under Xavier's guidance, they learn to control their talents and work together to combat evil.


Is it any good?

 

Based on the very popular Marvel Comics series, this anmiated show -- which originally aired from 1992 to 1997 -- places a strong emphasis on teamwork. The X-Men all have amazing, but very specific, powers. None of them is a Superman, and they must cooperate to fight effectively against their toughest enemies.

The show stays true to the comic books, including the original story's strong current of anti-mutant bigotry. The world of the X-Men is filled with mutants, some more powerful than others, some who look quite average, and others who don't even look human. All of them face considerable enmity from some groups of "normal" people who distrust mutants and consider them a threat to humanity. This simple metaphor for racism is a fairly adult theme for a show aimed at young people, but it's presented in a way that even kids will be able to understand.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about bigotry. Why are the X-Men persecuted? Do you think that's fair? Is it at all comparable to racism in the real world? Also, how do you think the violence in this cartoon compares to other animated superhero shows? What about to the live-action X-Men movies? Kids: If you were to become a mutant, what kind of powers would you like?


This review was written by Will Wade
Kid, 13 years old
April 24, 2010
 
sex problems?
theres tons of sex between rouge and gambit a clone of rouge poses and you see a little bit of her brest but shes fully cloth and mysique well focus on how she walks focus also how her brest giggle to much when she walks(thats not a big problem he he) iffy f0 ages 1-10

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Teen, 14 years old
June 20, 2009
 
boring,
If your an X-Men fan like me and hate this show, watch the new one on nicktoons network.

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Teen, 14 years old
December 17, 2009
 
A show that will live on forever in famy
ood show.Kinda bland,not many good effects.But overall this show is the show that the Teen crowd loves most.

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Teen, 17 years old
February 6, 2009
 
Classic!
Classic super-hero cartoon! HOWEVER, this series has old animation. Some battle scenes may be slow. Also, some episodes DO have mild blood.

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Teen, 15 years old
July 15, 2010
 
Interesting, but mature
Some parts seem a bit cheesy, but overall it's a good show. The violence is normal for the superher genre; fist fights, punches, etc.Romance is not a big part of the show, but there is some. Written on 9/9/11

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This review was written by Will Wade
This review was written by Will Wade
 

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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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