Parents' Guide to

ThunderCats (1980s)

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Classic 'toon's conflict is OK for older kids.

ThunderCats (1980s) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 7+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 6+

Description by site is wrong

Ok so the “lone female” is wrong. There are 2and eventually 3. Every episode ended with a review of what they’d learned and a positive message, smart writing too.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
age 8+

A classic that still holds up

I watched this show religiously as a kid in the 80s, jumping off the couch and mimicing the characters. 30 years later, I'm watching my kids doing the same thing. My 7 year old son and 9 year old daughter got deep into it after only one episode and are questioning a lot of the science and back story. They are really smart, creative and want to know as much as possible, so this show fits them perfectly. My biggest complaint about the show is the voice acting, which even bothered me as a child. Many times the character speak with a whiney tone, stretching the words out like their talking to babies. Other times they talk like robots, not the most human of emotions coming from their voices. But the action and storylines are strong enough for anyone to get over it. Like most 80s cartoons, the episodes end with positive learning moments that are a obvious sign of the times, yet the production team was smart enough to weave these messages into the subject of the storyline rather than a lecture. Of course, there will be a lot of things that only adults would get but that's what makes Thundercats so great, it's fun for all ages.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (1):

ThunderCats exemplifies the ubiquitous action-adventure cartoons at the disposal of children -- especially boys -- of the '80s. It plays out much the same as its peers like BraveStarr and Transformers; a band of heroes risks their lives to fend off their nefarious enemies and to help the downtrodden they encounter, all the while teaching their young viewers a thing or two about morality. While this cartoon isn't as blatant in its delivery of positive messages as, say, He-Man, its heroes still stand up for what's right and band together to protect the innocent.

Violence is an unavoidable byproduct of the show's good-vs.-evil plot, but by today's standards, it's fairly tame. Many of the characters use weapons like laser guns or stun darts, but when an opportunity exists to deter an enemy without force, the heroes take it, which sends messages to kids about making good choices. The storylines also center on themes like loyalty and courage, so there are plenty of issues to discuss with your kids at the show's end.

TV Details

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