Spy Kids: Mission Critical

This action/adventure animated series is fast-paced fun for kids who aren't quite ready for real baddies and critical combat. Golden Brain is hardly an imposing figure, and his thugs are doltish enough that they're easily manhandled by the intrepid young heroes and heroines. What violence exists isn't disturbing and never seems to have lasting impact, given that everyone seems to bounce back to normal fairly quickly. There is the issue of kids assuming adult responsibilities and holding the line between the world's freedom and its fall to a nefarious force, but even that matter has minimal effect on the show's overall humor.

Viewers who have seen the Spy Kids movies will notice that Mission Critical doesn't have a natural place within the franchise's timeline, even though it revives the Cortez family and references other major players from the first three movies in particular. If your kids are big fans of the movies, this might be an issue initially, but the story charts its own course well enough that they will enjoy it nonetheless. Newcomers to the Spy Kids concept won't get all of the movie references, but it's not enough of a factor that it'll interfere with whether or not they like the show.