The Creature Cases (TV-Y)
Snoopy Presents: It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown (TV-G)
Endearing tale of environmentalism and activism.
“Snoopy Presents: It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown” is a TV special that introduces young kids to the concepts of environmentalism and activism. Positive messages include the value of teamwork, compassion, not giving up and sticking up for the little guy. Mild potentially stressful content includes Peppermint Patty taunting Charlie and indicating that she’s from the better part of town. They also get into a brief shoving match. But overall, there’s very little iffy stuff, and it’s a great fit for the young elementary school audience. (38 minutes)
Available on Apple TV Plus.
Our Great National Parks (TV-PG)
Stunning, educational nature show inspires hope; some peril.
“Our Great National Parks” is a nature documentary show hosted by former president Barack Obama. National parks all over the globe are featured, and their wildlife habitats are explored. Perilous moments such as crocodiles hunting fish or large animals hunting smaller prey are accompanied by suspenseful music, lending a dramatic tone. The human impact on wildlife is pointed out, including hunting, pollution, mining and industrial exploitation of land. Overall, though, the show’s tone is hopeful and uplifting, and the visual storytelling is outstanding. (Five roughly hour-long episodes)
Danger, emotion, drinking in post-apocalypse anime tale.
“Bubble” is an anime film about a group of young people who were orphaned and left in a collapsed city by a catastrophic event. They put themselves in danger regularly, participating in intense parkour competitions and often falling from heights and risking sinking in the ocean or what are known as watery “ant-lion” pits. They also drink beer, swear (“damn,” “hell,” “crap,” “b—–d” and other insults in English-language subtitles) and make at least one reference to “inappropriate” touching (there’s also flirting and two kisses). Nobody dies in the parkour competitions, but one character has a prosthetic leg from an accident, one nearly drowns, and another is kidnapped and held high up on a cranelike structure. A nonhuman character puts her hand in hot oil, but it causes no burns; in an emotional scene, her body slowly disappears piece by piece as she drops her human form. The film suggests that history’s patterns of destruction and restoration are cyclical, that humans can love like no other beings, and that women and people with certain disabilities can be capable of great physical and intellectual feats. (101 minutes)
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