Common Sense Media Review
By Ashley Moulton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun holiday special does have potty humor, silly violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Captain Underpants: Mega Blissmas
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
What's the Story?
Fourth-graders George and Harold set out to make Christmas more epic in Captain Underpants: Mega Blissmas. Why have boring carols when you could have a DJ, regular holiday decorations when you could have lasers, and tree-bots instead of plain old trees? They make a comic to explain their new version of the holiday, which they call "Mega Blissmas." The duo steals their arch-nemesis Melvin's time machine and travel back in time to the night before the very first Christmas 300 years ago. There, they can convince Santa he should make their idea of Christmas a reality. Returning to present day, at first it seems like their dreams have come true. Everything about Christmas is extreme, from the exploding Christmas trees to the extra spicy food. Soon, Harold and George find out that Santa took their suggestions too far. He turns into a scary "jacked" Santa that demands people give presents to him, and makes Christmas no fun for everyone but himself. They wind up in an epic battle with Santa and his giant robots, and only Captain Underpants's special powers save their bacon. But can Harold and George undo their mistake and make Christmas special for everyone?
Is It Any Good?
Kids who love the comedy and fast-paced storytelling of the Captain Underpants TV series will enjoy their holiday-themed antics in Mega Blissmas. Grown-ups on the other hand, might be disappointed by the potty humor, slapstick violence, and bad-example-setting that has carried over from the series. There are parts of this Christmas special that are clever, like the funny wordplay and all the creative ways the boys dream of changing the holiday. But the other less-exemplary elements tip the scales in the other direction, making this holiday special just okay. Harold and George do finally understand that Christmas is about putting others before yourselves, and kid viewers will enjoy watching all the silliness that leads up to that lesson.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the meaning of Christmas. Is it about putting other people before yourselves, like Harold and George learn?
What other TV shows can you think of that are based on books? What differences do you notice between the two types of media? Which do you prefer?
TV Details
- Premiere date: December 4, 2020
- Cast: Nat Faxon , Ramone Hamilton , Jay Gragnani
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Topics: Adventures , Book Characters , Holidays
- TV rating: TV-Y7
- Last updated: January 19, 2021
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