Lab Rats (2012)
Film details
Comedy · Sci-Fi & Fantasy · Kids · Bryan Moore · 22min
Synopsis
Leo is an ordinary teenager who has moved into a high-tech "smart'' house with his mother, inventor stepfather and Eddy, the computer that runs the house. Leo's life becomes less ordinary when, one day, he discovers a secret underground lab that houses three experiments: superhuman teenagers. The trio -- Adam, the strong one, Bree, the fast one and Chase, the smart one -- convinces Leo and his parents to let them leave their lab and join Leo at school, where they try to fit in while having to manage their unpredictable bionic strengths. As Leo figures out a way to keep his new pals' bionic abilities a secret, they help him build self-confidence.
Verdict
Light science fiction youth comedy, with wholesome humor and cartoonish adventures.
In-depth analysis
Lab Rats is a Disney XD juvenile sitcom that combines light science fiction with family humor. The premise —three bionic teenagers created in a laboratory who must learn to live in the real world— serves as a metaphor for the maturation process: the protagonists discover their abilities, learn to control them, and face the consequences of their decisions. The tone is deliberately comedic: the action scenes with superpowers are choreographed and exaggerated, without realism or physical consequences. The series opts for physical humor and absurd situations characteristic of juvenile slapstick. The family structure is traditional —Donald and Tasha as parental figures, Leo as the bionics' adoptive brother— and the conflicts revolve around loyalty, friendship, and teamwork. There is no sexual content, the language is clean, and the violence is cartoonish. For parents, it is a safe option for light entertainment that makes no pretense of being more than it is: a juvenile comedy with special effects and comical situations. Do not expect moral depth or transcendent lessons, nor will you find ideological agendas or inappropriate content.