The Thunderman's doesn't pretend to be allegory or high art, it is what it is, a whimsical, cartoony half hour of fun. It successfully combines the family sitcom with the Superhero genre and creates a happy middle ground that has the requisite absurdity of a teen/preteen sitcom. The basic idea is simple, a superhero family, much like the family in the 'incredibles,' right down to the young boy who's superpower is speed, retire to the suburbs.
The main protagonists are the Twins: Phoebe and Max. Good girl Phoebe is being prepped to enroll in Superhero U, while Max the black sheep of the family has plans to be a Supervillain.
Max even has his own secret lair( the basement ) and a sidekick, Dr Colossus, who once was his fathers arch enemy but somehow has been turned into a cute little Bunny and steals most of the scenes he's in.
All of the characters are stereotypical, in the usual sitcom way, augmented with super powers which gives the show its edge, as does the idea that Hank may be the typical ineffectual TV Dad but at the same time use to be a guy who was out saving the world.
The show doesn't pretend to make sense, after all a dad who can fly( with no Plane or nothing ) to Bangkok for some real Thai takeout dinner isn't supposed to make sense, so a fantasy aspect is baked into the cake.
11 year old billy is a bit naive while his younger sister Nora is the typical Nick/Disney little girl who is much wiser then her years. She can shoot lasers out of her eyes, which of the five Thunderman is probably the least power, but she makes up for it, with her boldness. When she and Billy team up, she's the brains and he's the Muscle, which is fine with Billy.
The Stories don't pretend to be life lessons, it's the typical Nick/Disney fast paced tween thing. A breezy half hour, in the usual 2 story format.
Max is hardly Supervillian material, he loves his family too much to be truly evil. It seems to be a phase he is going through.
The true stand out is kira, she lights up every scene she's in.
The show is light and breezy and never makes the mistake of getting too heavy. It's a quick paced half hour of cute entertainment full of uncomplicated humor . People who don't like it probably don't like puppies, Kittens or ice cream either.
