Dino Squad
By Emily Ashby,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Tween cartoon offers action but little substance.
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Based on 2 parent reviews
Too much theme song repetitions; come on, everytime a a,character changes to a Dino the theme song come up. Enough already!!! The plots are good and reminding people to recycle is good too. Just no more theme song unless it's at the beginning and end, no more theme song in between. First three episodes of the first season and already I want to stop watching it so that I don't have enough to hear that song.
Teaches good lessons
What's the Story?
A science class field trip takes an unexpected turn for five teens, Fiona, Buzz, Caruso, Rodger, and Max, who accidentally encounter a primordial goo that alters their DNA and causes them to transform into dinosaurs. They soon learn that their science teacher, Ms. Moynihan, and local businessman Victor Veloci are actually distant descendants of two ancient Velociraptors who survived the dinosaurs' extinction millions of years ago. Through time, the lone surviving species have evolved and adapted, leaving them unrecognizable as anything but the humans they appear to be. Veloci has developed a solution that can change any living being's DNA, reverting it back to a prehistoric version of itself, and intends to return the world to the Mesozoic era -- the height of the dinosaurs' heyday. DINO SQUAD follows the adventures of the dinosaur-morphing teens as they work against the nefarious plot to return all living things to prehistoric form.
Is It Any Good?
Dino Squad is sure to be a popular choice among tween boys thanks to its combination of fantasy and action. And aside from some physical altercations among fierce-looking dinosaurs (there's no blood or death), there's really little for parents to worry about. That said, the show comes up short on the positive as well, making few attempts to teach any lessons aside from the recurring theme of the importance of teamwork. The most young viewers can hope to learn -- if they don't already know it, of course -- is how to recognize and identify the various dinosaur species.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about cartoon violence. How is watching animated battles different from seeing live-action fighting? Are fantasy clashes less upsetting than more realistic ones? Why or why not?
Kids: What do you know about how dinosaurs became extinct? What species of dinosaurs can you identify? How do the different types compare in size, strength, defenses, diet, etc.?
TV Details
- Premiere date: November 3, 2007
- Cast: Ben Beck , Ian Eli Lee
- Network: CBS
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Topics: Dinosaurs , Magic and Fantasy , Adventures
- TV rating: TV-Y7
- Last updated: November 1, 2022
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