Parents' Guide to

Motorcity

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Action toon offers thought-provoking content for tweens.

Motorcity Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 9+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 10+

Greatest

I saw this series when it first came on air. It had very nice animation and cool graphics. I saw every episode except for the last one since it was sadly canceled for no reason. it had great morals and a great creator, Chris, who developed also MEGAS XLR. It was sad to see it die.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
age 8+

Great new series! :D

The pilot episode was just fantastic and the animation was brilliant, especially considering this was done in Flash. The action and story lines are fast-paced and just full of excellent action with great characters and a menacing villain. The first episode draws you into the story immediately and just goes forward from there. It looks like 2012 is bringing in some excellent cartoons.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

This action-packed cartoon is a rarity among its peers -- a political science lesson masquerading as entertainment, a commentary on government and social activism that's not a documentary or a satire. In a tween market that's overflowing with superheroes and the supernatural, Motorcity is something of an anomaly, and that's just the hook it might need to reel in this sought-after set of viewers. Once there, tweens will find a diverse and mostly appealing team of heroes drawn together by their common disdain for an autocratic establishment and their unwillingness to accept a system they don't believe in.

If all that sounds a little heady for tweens, you're not wrong. Granted, it's possible to watch Motorcity on a more superficial level, not looking beyond the high-octane car chases to analyze the power struggle that instigates them. But to do so is to miss out on Motorcity's most positive messages about social responsibility, self-expression, and personal empowerment. What's more, without relating these themes to the content, the show feels more like a one-dimensional fantasy ride than a story with any value. Bottom line? Content-wise, this show is passable for younger tweens, but it's much better suited for older ones who -- with parents' help -- can start to relate its themes to real-world issues.

TV Details

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