Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) [Blu-ray]
Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Sci-Fi

Tagline: The Dogfather of all comedies.

Unleash the fun with this hilarious comedy for all ages from the creators of The Croods and How To Train Your Dragon! Mr. Peabody (Ty Burrell) is an inventor, scientist and genius who just happens to be a dog. With his son Sherman, he will embark on the most extraordinary adventure imaginable as they race against time to repair history and save the future.

Storyline: Mr. Peabody is a business titan, inventor, scientist, gourmand, two-time Olympic medalist and genius...who also happens to be a dog. Using his most ingenious invention, the WABAC machine, Mr. Peabody and his adopted boy Sherman hurtle back in time to experience world-changing events first-hand and interact with some of the greatest characters of all time. But when Sherman breaks the rules of time travel, our two heroes find themselves in a race to repair history and save the future, while Mr. Peabody may face his biggest challenge yet - being a parent. Written by Juan Diaz

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, October 13, 2014 -- Harvard graduate. Inventor. Dancer. Musician. Historian. Chiropractor. Canine. Mr. Peabody, by all counts, may be called "the most interesting dog in the world." And what does every most interesting dog do? Adopt a human boy, of course, an orphan who reminds him of himself, hearkening back to the days when his puny bark and disinterest in a simple game of chase kept him from finding a happy human home. Peabody did what so many gifted do, and that's turn the tables on society by outclassing everyone else with off-the-charts brainpower and talent aplenty. But sometimes even the best laid plans of dogs and boys often go awry, and away, as in far, far, away not to another galaxy but to another time and place. Based on characters from the old cartoon series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, the latest DreamWorks film is, at its center, a typical representation of modern digital family fare, featuring likable characters, conflict covered in comedy, and that end-movie tenderness that's a genre staple. It's on the outside where the film distinguishes itself with a fun rhythm, quality little kid-centric take on history, gorgeous animation, big sound, and a real sense of adventure that's made for kids and suitable for adults, too.

Mr. Peabody (voiced by Ty Burrell) is a brilliant and multitalented high society high rise dweller -- and a dog, by the way -- who lives with his adopted human son, Sherman (voiced by Max Charles). It's Sherman's first day of school, and it doesn't take long for him to get into trouble. He's bullied by a classmate named Penny (voiced by Ariel Winter) who doesn't take Sherman's superior knowledge base very well. Ultimately, Sherman bites Penny. In an effort to patch things up, Peabody invites Penny and her parents over for dinner. While Sherman and Penny are alone, he lets slip that he and Mr. Peabody are time travelers. He and Penny set off in the WABAC machine, travel backwards in time, and embark on a journey that will take them to different places and allow them to meet a number of historical figures. Meanwhile, Sherman worries that the incident in school will be the final straw in one social worker's quest to separate him from Mr. Peabody forever.

While it may not be a bastion of originality, the air of familiarity isn't a major hindrance. Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a joyful, full-throttle animated film, a fun little time travel flick in the tradition of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure in which various historical persons, places, and scenarios are at the center of attention, not as a requirement to get a passing grade in high school history but as something of a propellant to build relationships and a reaffirm a familial love. And to generate a lot of laughs, too. Indeed, the picture travels around to several interesting historical locations, including ancient Egypt, revolutionary France, Da Vinci's Italy, and to the battle of Troy (Skylanders fans, listen for a familiar voice in the role of "Agamemnon"). The movie doesn't do anything hugely unexpected at any of the places beyond maintaining a fairly linear dynamic that's just as much revolved around the subplot involving Sherman's status as Mr. Peabody's adopted son. There are times when the movie borders on feeling like little mini-adventures rather than a cohesive whole, but it does a nice enough job of bringing it all together -- literally -- in a final act that is itself rather straightforward but satisfactory given the body of work to come before it.

Indeed, the final act hits on all the usual dramatic and thematic suspects, ending with an uplifting message on friendship and family, a higher connection built on challenges that see the characters -- Sherman in particular -- metaphorically sinking to new lows before metaphorically swimming back to the top and reaching higher than ever before. In that regard, the movie lacks creativity, but it's capably satisfying, anyway, even as it wears out long-covered ground in the guise of new (old) environments. Thankfully, the variety of historical locations allows the filmmakers to stretch their creativity by building a basically faithful replication of what one might expect centuries old-Italy, among other locales, to look like while still taking some fun creative liberties in character and environmental design. Every new location opens up a new world of possibilities that are sometimes realized, sometimes not, but the broader scope and greater variety of interesting historical characters at least helps the movie to cover up its otherwise linear, noncreative side. The film is also the beneficiary of some solid voice performances. Ty Burrell is particularly good as Mr. Peabody, blending nerdy and authoritative quite well. Sprinkle in some heart at just the right time, and Peabody turns out to be one of the best-voiced characters in recent animation movie history.

They still make 'em like they used to. Mr. Peabody & Sherman is everything one expects of a big modern animated movie. It's zany fun wrapped around a far-fetched yet not particularly unique story of time travel and the bonds of family that grow ever stronger through strain and hardship. It's polished and pretty, a perfect example of the modern digital family film landscape. Sure it's sourced from older material and borrows quite liberally from other movies, but it works as quality, albeit somewhat mindless, entertainment that's as much a hit thanks to its color and sound as its core story details and themes. In short, it's predictably solid family fun that won't replace that hefty history text but that should keep everyone in the family entertained. DreamWorks' Blu-ray release of Mr. Peabody & Sherman features tip-top 1080p video, a legendary lossless sound, and a nice assortment of extra content, even considering the glaring absence of a filmmakers' commentary track. Recommended.

[CSW] -2.5- I rented the 2D version to see if I might be interested in getting the 3D version but this version was designed for kids. While I'm sure that the kids will love it, it is nowhere close to the original Peabody's Improbable History cartoon which had quite a bit of adult appeal. This is the watered-down, ticket-selling Hollywood slick job. The original material for The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (then broadcast in prime time) was written with adults in mind (as well as something children could enjoy without necessarily understanding the humor). The original was full of dry wit in oddball, off-the-wall, short-but-sweet adventurous skits that left the viewer wanting more. Missing are bookends Rocky and Bullwinkle, Mr. Know-It-All, Fractured Fairy Tales, and Aesop and Son. The story is a little sloppy and can't quite balance out the conflicts going on and it made for some moments that had the film drag a bit. The film isn't terrible; it just wasn't as fun as I had hoped it was going to be. While watchable and amusing at points, the movie just wasn't good enough for me to watch more than just one time and not good enough for me to want to see it in 3D.
[V5.0-A5.0] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box motion codes were available at the time of this rental although they are available now.


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