Beast Wars: Transformers

Parents need to know that Beast Wars: Transformers is an Emmy Award-winning sequel to the original Transformers series but features an entirely new cast said to be descendants of the original characters, so it's helpful but not necessary to know the back story in order to understand what's going on. As with every good-vs.-evil plot, there's a fair amount of fighting between the two factions, often with their robotic weapons, but also in this case with the characteristics of the animal shapes they assume. Parents should be cognizant of the edgy language that exists even among so-called friends, as characters often call their peers names like "idiot," tell them to "shut up," or make suggestive remarks like "kiss my skinplate." If your kids are prone to repeating what they hear on TV, then this may be a concern for you. That said, the show exhibits some pretty impressive CGI effects for its mid-'90s roots and benefits from a clever plot and strong storytelling.