Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that Beast Wars: Transformers is an Emmy Award-winning sequel to the original Transformers series but features an entirely new cast said to be descendants of the original characters, so it's helpful but not necessary to know the back story in order to understand what's going on. As with every good-vs.-evil plot, there's a fair amount of fighting between the two factions, often with their robotic weapons, but also in this case with the characteristics of the animal shapes they assume. Parents should be cognizant of the edgy language that exists even among so-called friends, as characters often call their peers names like "idiot," tell them to "shut up," or make suggestive remarks like "kiss my skinplate." If your kids are prone to repeating what they hear on TV, then this may be a concern for you. That said, the show exhibits some pretty impressive CGI effects for its mid-'90s roots and benefits from a clever plot and strong storytelling.

Sexual Content

Not applicable.

Violence

The two sides wage battle in every episode, using laser blasts that cause explosions and sometimes injure those involved. In their beast forms, they use the animals' special features ( a rhino's horn, a cheetah's bite, etc.) against the enemies. What injuries do result typically don't last long, though.

Language

The characters don't curse, but they do sling insults and use some iffy language you might not want your kids repeating. "Idiot," "shut up," "kiss my skinplate!" and the like are frequent battleground talk.

Social Behavior

The show draws a clear distinction between good and evil, so it's easy for viewers to identify with right and wrong. The Predacons are motivated by greed and selfishness, which is countered by the Maximals' efforts stated goal of peace. That said, all is not always well in the Maximals' camp, thanks to some infighting and one member's disloyalty to the leader, which sends questionable messages about the structure of a good team.

Consumerism

Beast Wars is part of the Transformers saga, which is heavily marketed in toys, games, accessories, apparel, and numerous live-action movies.

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Not applicable