TV DVD Review: "X-Men": Volume Three

Rated: TV-Y7 for fantasy violence (US) / PG: "Not Recommended for Young Children, Violence" (Canada)
Starring: Cathal J. Dodd, George Buza, and Norm Spencer
Released: 1994 - 1995 (original TV premieres) / 2009 (DVD)

Synopsis: In this third volume of the adventures of Professor Xavier's school of mutants, the X-Men face their toughest challenges yet! Between a jungle god bent on causing an apocalypse, the return of the Juggernaut, Wolverine discovering his origins, a temporal disturbance causing Professor X to cease to exist, and especially Jean Grey being possessed by an evil space-faring entity, it's going to take everything the X-Men have got to save the day and emerge victorious!
Based on stories from Marvel Comics.  Also features appearances by Nightcrawler and Morph.

The Good: I love superhero cartoons, and these are among the best I've seen.  With plenty of action, convoluted storylines, great voice work, and wonderful animation, this series definitely delivers.  It's no surprise that this cartoon continues to be remembered by those who watched it back in the day; it's fabulous! Also impressive, though unexpected, was a portrayal of Christian faith in a positive light.  When devout Catholic mutant Nightcrawler is introduced, the episode featuring him ends with Wolverine reading from the Bible.  You wouldn't expect that from a secular '90's cartoon, but it's there...and it made me quite happy!

The Bad: As good as this is, I do have to say that this isn't for children.  While it has no notable sexual content and zero profanity, the violence is akin to the theatrical films, which were rated "PG-13" for a reason.  There wasn't any blood or gore, but the action sequences were rather intense, and some kids may be scared by some of the villains.

Content Concerns:

• Sex: Kissing, flirting; totally innocent romance. 4/5
• Nudity: Shirtless guys; women in low-cut outfits; a girl in a tribal outfit; all of it is made less sultry thanks to the cartoon style. 4/5
• Language: Name-calling; nothing more. 4/5
• Violence: As the rating mentions, "fantasy violence" is present throughout, and it gets rather intense. No blood or gore, though. 2/5
• Drugs: None. 5/5
• Frightening/Intense Scenes: Emotional intensity and scary villains throughout. 3/5
• Other: Remarks about evolution; Professor X makes a disparaging remark about the creation account in Genesis. 4/5

Conclusion: While not exactly for kids, as an adult viewer, I found this third volume to be fabulous.  It's great to see the X-Men come to life without the profanity and sexual content that besmirched the theatrical films.  If you're a comic book fan, and haven't seen this series yet...you should! Just be sure to start with the first volume.

Score: 4.5/5