Parents' Guide to

Carmen Sandiego

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Globe-trotting thief's action-packed origin story.

TV Netflix Kids' Animation 2019
Carmen Sandiego Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all
age 6+

Based on 10 parent reviews

Michael G.
Michael G. Parent
March 1, 2019
age 2+

Great reeboot on a classic cartoon but could be improved

Im a big fan of thios show from the classiv series when i was a kid. You can sstill find full youtube vids of all the episodes. I introuduced my daughter to Carmen with the classic and she loved it and so was over the moon when she heard about this reboot. Ill admit i was intrerested myself in checking it out. While I love the story lines i noticed a big flaw. The origonal series was more education entertainment value with your child picking up on a lot more facts than you see in this new version. While factas are shown multiple times throughout each episode in the origonal you dont get as much in these episodes. Yes you get a barely two minute segment in each episode I feel that netflix has gone off what made the bran the brand slightly to favor more entertainment than education which is what the games and tv series were designed around nad had a nice balance of the two. Whilst this does not

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
2 people found this helpful.
Lori B.
Lori B. Parent of 7-year-old
March 4, 2023
age 10+

Ideas too violent for kids

The plot is intriguing but is way too intense and violent for any kid under 11 years old. Characters are being arrested, manipulated, tortured, killed. Too serious without the payoff of good lessons or good feelings.

This title has:

Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
See all 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

CARMEN SANDIEGO is the origin story of the notorious and mysterious titular globe-trotting thief who made her debut as a video game and TV series character in the early 1990s. In this imagining, Carmen's (voiced by Gina Rodriguez) story begins when she's an orphan baby raised among apprentice thieves on a remote island. When she comes of age, she trains alongside her classmates Tigress, Crackle, Le Chevre, and El Topo, excelling in ways that indicate a promising future as an operative. But when she learns the truth about the V.I.L.E. organization's mission -- and its real name (Villains' International League of Evil) -- Carmen escapes and sets about thwarting their nefarious capers around the world. Together with her hacker friend, Player (Finn Wolfhard), and her teammates, Zack and Ivy, Carmen races to safeguard the world's treasures from the clutches of V.I.L.E. agents and herself from the planet's most determined Interpol inspector.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10 ):
Kids say (44 ):

Everybody's favorite thief returns in grand fashion in this exhilarating series with a crack female lead and her arsenal of gadgets, perception, and ... geography? Carmen Sandiego refreshes the best of the former iterations of the red-clad character: She's smart, she's crafty, and she loves the thrill of the chase and the feel of clutching quarry from the hands of her adversaries. What's changed most is how much more we know about her now, and that just makes her all the more endearing. Instead of stealing artifacts for the V.I.L.E. organization, Carmen is the world's best defense against the group's schemes, and she's in league with detectives Zack and Ivy now instead of competing with them.

Carmen Sandiego never was a particularly threatening baddie, but the fact that she's adept at breaking and entering and an accomplished thief made her the obvious antagonist of her story. That's different now, and it's much more fun to root for her than against her. Also surprisingly fun is how this show incorporates solid geography lessons into each episode, introducing kids to basic facts about each new location on Carmen's travel list. Not only is this content good for viewers' sense of different places and cultures, it's also a reminder that knowledge can be an effective tool against the world's ills and one's enemies.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how heroism is defined. Can a hero be someone who does something wrong for the right reason? Should a person's intent be considered when judging his or her actions? In what ways is Carmen Sandiego a hero? Can it be argued that she isn't one?

  • What character strengths do you see in Carmen? How does she display courage and determination? In what ways do Player's technological skills help the team? To what degree does their insistence on doing the right thing make them even more formidable?

  • Carmen had to stand up to her friends in order to do the right thing. Is that more difficult to do than defying enemies? Have you ever been in a situation that put you at odds with your friends? How do you defend yourself against peer pressure and bullying?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate