Care Bears: Kingdom of Caring

We all have guilty TV pleasures from our youth (see my Lost in Space review in the “DVD Spotlight” section of this issue), but at the risk of sounding like No Heart, I cannot bear this 1985 animated series developed to hype a popular toy line. The animation is Saturday morning cartoon definitive, and the characters, with icky names such as Hugs, Tugs, and Cheer Bear, are more or less indistinguishable (I believe that getting hooked on Care Bears has led to harder stuff, like Pokémon), but--admittedly--children of the '80s may be eager to share the Bears with their own children. Compiling six original episodes that--even if superficially--nurture children's self-esteem and encourage them to believe in themselves, Care Bears: Kingdom of Caring is chock-full of sentiments such as "we'll get more done when we work together." As one Bear remarks, "If there's one thing the Care Bears do well, it's turning sad children into happy children." Whether this holds true for today's more sophisticated Nick Jr. audience, however, is questionable. Very optional. Aud: P. (D. Liebenson)