Kim Possible: ALL Things Are Possible
Written: Apr 01 '04 (Updated Apr 01 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: strong female characters
Cons: a bit violent, too many belly buttons
The Bottom Line: If you can get past the usual cartoon violence, Kim Possible shows girls that they too can be heroes.
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| pippadaisy's Full Review: Kim Possible |
I'm amazed that I know more about the programs that my children watch than anything on during primetime viewing. That's partly due to the fact that I am very strict about what I allow my children to watch on television, and partly because some of the shows they've come to love, I've come to love, too, and Kim Possible is probably my favorite.
~&~ The Basics ~&~
Kim Possible appears on The Disney Channel's late afternoon line-up, and is an animated show about Kim Possible, cheerleader and overachiever by day, and saves the world in her spare time. She is assisted by her best friend, the clumsy and often socially inept Ron Stoppable; Ron's pet naked mole rat Rufus; and Wade, a super-genius who provides Kim with information and cool gadgets, but only ever appears via Kim's communicator.
Also around for help or hindrance, depending on the situation, are Kim's parents (her mother is a neurosurgeon, and her father is a rocket scientist), and her younger twin brothers, Jim and Tim.
In addition to dealing with everyday teenager issues like boys and cheerleading practice, Kim battles a stable full of villains, including DNAmy, a collector of small plush animals (think Beanie Babies) who creates mutants with her bio-engineering skills; Monkey Fist, an English lord who wants to be a primate and rule the world as the Monkey King; Señor Senior Sr. and Señor Senior Jr., a father-son team (the father is voiced by a completely over-the-top Ricardo Montalban); and Kim's arch-nemesis Dr. Drakken, an evil scientist, and his sidekick Shego (voiced by the always funny Nicole Sullivan from MadTV).
Kim is usually trying to work through regular teenage angst while simultaneously battling the villain of the week. For instance, in the DNAmy episode, her parents have gone along as chaperons on a school ski trip. Bonnie, Kim's school nemesis, loves embarrassing Kim about her parents being uncool and on the trip, while at the same time, DNAmy is creating more of her oversized Beanie-like creations, which create havoc.
~&~ Parents Perspective ~&~
There are a few issues that I have with Kim Possible that keep it from being a perfect show. One is that it can be a bit violent when Kim is fighting the villains. Kim, Ron, Rufus, and the villains always end up unharmed in the end to fight another day, but some of the shows are a bit too violent for my liking. One episode in particular has Ron battling in a virtual reality video game that he and a group of students have become trapped in, and that episode is probably the most violent under the guise of it being a video game.
The second issue I have is with how Kim dresses. I know, I must be the world's biggest prude to be complaining about a cartoon character's dress, but both Kim's regular school clothes and her "villian fighting" clothes involve shirts that expose her belly. While I realize that this is standard fashion for teenage girls these days, I have never heard of a school that allowed them to be worn to class (at least around here) and I fail to see how they would be practical for crime fighting.
So why do I let my daughter watch Kim Possible you wonder? Simply put, Kim is a girl James Bond. With gadgets supplied by Wade, she is the heroine in every single episode. Ron is along for the ride, often causing more trouble than he is worth, but it's Kim alone who works things out with little more than a "No big." Most superheroes are boys and men, and Kim breaks the mold. I can get past a bit of animated violence and a navel to give my daughter the idea that girls are every bit as capable as boys, and sometimes (judging by Ron) even more so.
Best of all, this is a show I really enjoy watching with my daughter, and I have to admit that a "No big" or "What's the sitch?" have found their way out of my mouth on occasion.
~&~ Kid Value ~&~
My daughter loves all things Kim Possible. She has a t-shirt, watches the show religiously, and is already begging for the full-length movie on DVD. She knows that Christy Carlson Romano provides the voice of Kim, and has been known to ask me "What's the sitch?" on occasion.
I think that there are far worse female cartoon role models she could have than Kim Possible and her neurosurgeon mother, so I am only too happy to oblige.
Recommended:
Yes
Type of Program: Cartoon or Animated
Program Quality: Entertaining, but not intellectually or emotionally engaging
Best Suited For: Other
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pippadaisy
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About Me:
Divorce seriously cuts into the amount of time for reviewing.
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