Slugterra: Ghoul from Beyond

Parents need to know that "Ghoul from Beyond" is a 44-minute episode of the animated Slugterra series, being marketed as a single DVD -- "The First Slugterra Movie" is emblazoned on the DVD package. Some familiarity with the Slugterra concept and characters would definitely enhance viewers' connection with this entry; there's very little in the way of introduction or back story here. It's a shoot-em-up from start to finish, with lots of humor, likeable heroes, and assorted slugs from the Slugterra "catalogue." Slugs are the tiny creatures who "morph" from adorable to powerful when they are launched from the blasters that the heroes carry. Villains come in all shapes and sizes: some archly evil, some comic, others simply overpowering -- none really scary for kids who understand cartoon violence versus real. Characters are exploded, set afire, smashed into things, electrified, and, in one important plot element, subject to mind control. Though everyone takes at least one hit in this movie, all the heroes are restored by Boon Doc, a healer-slug. The baddies lose their battles, but it's promised that they'll return for more. Made in Canada, Slugterra sells a line of toys, games, and products, most based on a large number of individual "slugs" (not unlike the Pokemon franchise).