Parents' Guide to

Zevo-3

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Violence consumes these teen superhero stories.

TV Nicktoons Kids' Animation 2010
Zevo-3 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 11+

Based on 2 parent reviews

mnv
mnv Adult
August 11, 2011
age 10+

terrible show

just an obvious excuse for sketchers to hock shoes

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much consumerism
Neyer
Neyer Adult
November 15, 2010
age 12+

Wrong messages abound in Zevo 3!!!

On top of the obvious product placement (the main characters are all based off of older Sketchers commercials) and excessive flirting done by children, the show has no educational value, implies that violence is the only way to defeat their enemies, has no visible role models, and uses inappropriate words constantly (stupid and butt are among the most common). The show is flat, boring for anyone with an education higher than second grade, and far too violent for anyone younger than twelve. The lack of role models and positive messages is what concerns me the most. There is Grams (the grandmother of one of the children) but she encourages her grandson and his friends to go off and fight. There is a complete lack of concern for their welfare, as demonstrated when her grandson breaks down an old water tower which is not only dangerous, but also illegal. She does nothing to correct his behavior and doesn't even attempt to talk them all out of their violent tendencies even though they blatantly put themselves in extreme danger. A final concern would be the monster they fight. Most of these monsters are engineered, or forced, to destroy and hurt people, but the children simply go off and kill them without even trying to help them, implying that anyone dangerous (bullies, for instance) should be treated violently and given no chance to redeem themselves or change. Young children invariably see violent characters in these types of shows as the bullies of their school. This show encourages them to use violence to break down anyone who tries to hurt them. Anyone under twelve should not watch this. Anyone over twelve might be able to watch it if they're mature enough (i.e. they understand that violence is never the answer and this is entirely fictional and only meant as a form of entertainment). I don't recommend this show for anyone that needs to be babysat and I put it on my 'do not watch' list, right next to Kick Buttowski.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In ZEVO-3, three teens' lives are changed forever when they're exposed to a mysterious substance called Zevo Compound and develop superhuman abilities. Suddenly Jason, Ellie, and Matt are thrust into an ongoing battle with Stankfoot, the mad scientist villain who created the compound, and his host of mutant monsters. It will take all of their powers combined to put an end to the evil he inflicts and to protect the residents of New Eden City.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (7 ):

It's tempting to hope that a story about three teens putting themselves in harm's way to take down a malicious force would have some good themes for kids watching, but in this case, positive content is pretty hard to come by. Jason, Ellie, and Matt do learn to rely on each other and use their individual strengths to get the better of the more powerful monsters, but that's the extent of anything positive.

Instead, the show is brimming with violence of nearly every kind, and in each instance the heroes manage to escape the barrage of fire, laser blasts, blunt force trauma, and chemical warfare from Stankfoot and his monsters without a scratch. Meanwhile, many of the monsters meet their demise at the teens' hands, though their deaths are usually implied rather than shown. In other words, it's clear that reality wasn't a goal for the creators of this show, nor apparently was treating an impressionable audience to more worthwhile content they can grow on.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how violence is portrayed by the media. Did you think this show was overly violent for a cartoon? How does it compare to other ones you've seen? What, if anything, about the show's style made the violence seem less realistic? Does seeing fighting on TV make it seem less harmful in real life to you?

  • Kids: How do you define a hero? What qualities do you admire in a role model? Who are some of your heroes? How does having a role model to look up to help you make good choices?

  • What are some of your special skills? How have you practiced and honed these skills? What kinds of things can you do with them? Can you use them to help people? To help your community? How do teams employ many people's individual skills for the good of the whole?

  • Talk about the relationship betweens kids TV and consumer products. Does watching a show make kids more likely to buy a toy or other merchandise associated with that show? What about this show -- do you think it's an extended commercial for Skechers?

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.

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