Slugterra: Return of the Shane Gang

Despite blatant Pokemon-imitating elements, one must give faint praise to the cable-broadcast CGI cartoon series Slugterra for its spin on linguistics: i.e., “slug” can either mean a bullet or a mollusk. So, in the secret subterranean cave-world of Slugterra, old-West-style gunslingers duel with guns that eject living slugs (fortunately for the invertebrates, non-fatally), each of which have a different superpower. Members of the human Shane family lead double lives, keeping law and order in Slugterra as sheriff types. But when 15-year-old suburban teenager Eli Shane's legendary father Will goes MIA in his battle against master villain Dr. Blakk—who corrupts ordinary slugs into especially ballistic, mutated "ghouls"—the teen descends into Slugterra to form his own frontier-esque posse (complete with stereotypical comic-relief Mexican creature sidekick). Most of the five episodes compiled here from the 2012 debut season find Eli dueling over slugs, earning new slugs when he vanquishes a foe, and upgrading his arsenal. While children's entertainment based on gun imagery is hardly in vogue at the moment, heroic Eli does treat his slugs respectfully as cutie-slimy, intelligent sentient beings, not mindless ammo (the way the baddies do). DVD extras include animated "Slugisodes" and an interview with the creative team. Optional. Aud: P. (C. Cassady)