Jake and the Never Land Pirates - Guide Review for Parents
Where the worlds of
princesses and fairies so captivate little girls, boys are ever enchanted with
things like cowboys and pirates. Jake and the Never Land Pirates presents
a pirate world both boys and girls can enjoy, however. With Izzy and her pixie
dust providing the deus ex machina at the end of every episode, at least all of
the ones I've seen, and recurrent characters such as Marina the mermaid and the
Pirate Princess, girls can feel just as represented by the characters on the
show as boys do. Boys and girls alike will enjoy the bright animation, lively
characters and paradisaical settings, not to mention the kid-friendly,
non-violent swashbuckling action.
Though historically pirates
have represented a highly dishonorable and unsavory section of society, Jake
and his band of "puny pirates," as Captain Hook calls them, could not
be nicer. Jake and team excellently model positive social concepts such as
sharing, fair play, doing the right thing (even when you don't have to) and
more. The characters also encourage young viewers to count along as they add up
their gold doubloons at the end of each episode.
The storylines in each
episode often follow a similar pattern. Captain Hook steals something or
otherwise causes trouble, and Jake and friends have to get their treasure back,
whatever it may be, or stop him from doing something unwise. The stories are
short and go quickly, so the show is a faster pace than some other shows
directed at the preschooler age group. Due to the fast pace and somewhat loud
music, this can be a show that gets a little obnoxious if it's on for too long.
In reasonable quantities,
it's not bad, though, and kids will enjoy the rockin' pirate music that
provides a backbone to each episode. You can also expect to hear your kids
repeat some if the fun-to-say phrases often used on the show such as: "Ah
coconuts!" "Ye hey, no way!" and "Yo ho, let's go!"
Jake and the Never Land
Pirates is an Annie Award-winning musical and interactive animated
television series shown on Disney
Junior. It is based on Disney's Peter Pan franchise, which in turn is
based on the famous book and play by British
author J.M. Barrie. It is the first Disney Junior original
show following the switch from Playhouse Disney. It stars Sean Ryan Fox, Megan Richie,
Jadon Sand, David Arquette, Corey
Burton, Jeff Bennett and Loren
Hoskins. The titular character Jake was previously voiced by Colin Ford,
and then later by Cameron Boyce, and now Sean Ryan Fox, while Izzy was
voiced for the first three seasons by Madison
Pettis and Cubby was voiced by Jonathan Morgan Heit. The series is created by
Disney veteran Bobs Gannaway, whose works include another Disney Junior series, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and films such as Secret of the Wings, The
Pirate Fairy, and Planes: Fire and Rescue.
The series focuses on a band
of young pirates consisting of Jake, Izzy, Cubby and their parrot Skully, who
continuously spend their days competing against Captain
Hook and Mr. Smee for treasure. They are often accompanied by
several characters including their living pirate ship, Bucky, and their mermaid
friend, Marina.
The series is a critical and
commercial success, receiving high praise from critics and fans for its
educational, yet entertaining format.[citation needed] The series is
currently in its third season which premiered on January 3, 2014. On
January 8, 2014, Disney ordered a fourth season of Jake and the Never Land
Pirates.
At the American
International Toy Fair in New York City, Disney announced a film based on the
series, premiered on September 19, 2012, entitled Jake and the Never Land
Pirates: Bucky's Great Race. The film was later downgraded to a special episode
renamedJake and the Never Land Pirates: Jake Saves Bucky.
