Marvel Super Heroes Adventures: Frost Fight!

For the intended audiences, this holiday-themed adventure will be a hit. Those expecting high-quality animation, flawed and nuanced superheroes fighting crime amid bleak backdrops, and noirish storylines should look elsewhere. This is somewhat silly and not terribly original holiday-themed fare geared toward younger kids, with animation reminiscent of the Saturday-morning cartoons of the late 20th century. Perhaps the only thing separating this is a humor rooted in self-awareness, coming out most notably in the endless quips and one-liners of Iron Man but also evident in the Hulk and Thor.

Those expecting anything more than a holiday special with obligatory nods to the True Meaning of Christmas will be disappointed. But for parents who have grown weary of the superhero animated features that are filled with profanity, cynicism, and graphic violence, MARVEL SUPER HERO ADVENTURES: FROST FIGHT! might be a welcome respite -- and perhaps even a nostalgic look back to a time when superheroes weren't constantly wrestling with their inner demons while trying to rescue a humanity wearied of the havoc they unleash but were instead, you know, heroic.