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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Axe Cop is an animated series about a police officer who uses an axe to vanquish evildoers. The main character frequently uses the axe to amputate heads, hands, and other body parts while blood squirts and flows. Characters are crushed, burned, shot, and blown up, all played for laughs. The titular character generally uses force to subdue anyone who opposes him; there are no consequences for violence. Axe Cop can also do things humans can't, such as jumping from one skyscraper roof to another, or riding a van into space. The violence is absurd and silly, but may still be disturbing to young children because some scenes are graphic or feature children in jeopardy. Viewers will hear plenty of body humor and see distasteful images such as "bad guys" who are piles of poop come to life.
Community Reviews
Axe Cop was not for kids
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Axe cop is not for kids
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What's the Story?
Comic artist Ethan Nicolle found a great way to connect with his 5-year-old brother Malachai when the two began collaborating on AXE COP, written by Malachai and drawn by Ethan. First a web comic, next a print graphic novel, and now an animated network series, AXE COP follows the adventures of an officer (voiced by Nick Offerman) who prefers to wield an axe instead of a gun. He sleeps only minutes a day and spends every night battling bad guys like Telescope Gun Cop and Doctor Stinkyhead. Sometimes there are zombies. Sometimes space aliens. Sometimes giant chickens with human heads who command an army of drill-wielding chicks. But Axe Cop fears nothing and he and his mighty axe are always ready to battle the multifarious bad guys who threaten law, order, and Axe Cop's pals.
Is It Any Good?
In one episode of Axe Cop, the zombie who ate the world's smartest brain takes the world's smartest poop. It comes to life and becomes Dr. Doodoo, a villain who plans to travel to London, England to marry the Queen of England and take over the world. Part of Dr. Doodoo's plan involves making all the humans on earth poop themselves to death. If that strikes you as amusing, so will Axe Cop.
The goofy goings on are comparable to other animated series: The Venture Bros. and South Park comes to mind. But since (most of) the plots were formulated by a small child with a small child's vivid imagination, passing fixations and a distinct lack of real-world logic, Axe Cop's happenings are a lot weirder. Cartman and Stan never went into space to visit the giant dinosaur horn store to vanquish the king of all bad guys, right? In another scene, Axe Cop stares at himself in the mirror, mentally trying on different hair and moustache styles. "I think you'd look best with a super curly beard and moustache with a robot ghost inside," says a friend. That's Axe Cop all over.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what audience Axe Cop is aimed at. Are the showrunners hoping to reach children? Adults? Teens? Twentysomethings? Senior citizens? What brings you to this conclusion?
Are viewers supposed to find the character Axe Cop funny? Disturbing? Ridiculous? Is he presented as a character you can trust?
Given that many of Axe Cop's situations were thought up by a very young child, how does the absurdity of the goings-on compare with other animated series such as The Venture Bros. or Archer?
TV Details
- Premiere date: July 27, 2013
- Cast: Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman
- Network: Fox
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Superheroes
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: March 2, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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The Venture Bros.
A reminder of how good cartoons can be for adults.
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Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Oddball humor is OK for teens ... but is it funny?
-
Archer
Animated spy spoof will amuse older viewers; not for kids.
For kids who love animation
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