Two Reviews for you on this one, you can see the second right after this review. Mr. Peabody and Sherman were first introduced to the world via the 1950s-1960s legendary kids cartoon "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show." Mr. Peabody (Ty Burell), a Nobel prize winning brainiac canine, whose intelligence is beyond that of any human being; there is nothing this Beagle cannot do. He was able to put his brilliant mind to use and adopt a young boy named Sherman (Max Charles) and he also invents a time travelling machine he calls the WABAC (pronounced way-back). He uses the WABAC as a teaching tool by travelling back in time with Sherman to experience some of the most famous moments in history. On Sherman's first day school, he finds that some of the history lessons being taught in school were not accurate to how the events actually took place. Remember, he traveled in time and witnessed it all first hand. Sherman finds himself clashing with his classmate Penny (Ariel Winter), who spends most of her time teasing and bullying Sherman for 'knowing too much' and for being raised by a dog. In an attempt to bring peace among Sherman's classmates and to also avoid the impending threat from child services who would like nothing more than to prove that a dog does not have the right to raise human child, Mr. Peabody invites Penny and her parents over to their home for dinner. Sherman tries to impress Penny by breaking Mr. Peabody's rules and introduces Penny to the WABAC. Nothing good comes of two kids travelling in time and disrupting the space time continuum. Enter Mr. Peabody, who uses the WABAC to try and rectify the disruptions that were caused by Penny and Sherman's adventure through time. This movie is not the story of "man's best friend!" It is geared more towards the father-son relationship. A very likeable film that brings us back to some significant moments in history, such as Leonardo DaVinci's painting of the Mona Lisa, the Trojan War, the time when King Tut ruled Ancient Egypt, and the French Revolution. In true Dreamwork fashion, there was just the perfect of amount of humor for kids and adults alike to enjoy. What sets this movie apart from others is its ability to embrace education as an adventure and how it challenges the 'traditional' family stereotype and that love can be found in all creatures and at any time. 4 out of 5 stars.
Second Review by
Tania Fiduccia
‘Mr. Peabody & Sherman’ is a movie based on the 60’s short that was a part of the “Rocky and Bullwinkle” animated TV series. Director Rob Minkoff updates the characters, adds some 3D and takes us on a delightful romp through history. This movie will be entertaining for kids because of the cartoony nature and silly puns. It will also delight any adult who remembers the original series.
Mr. Peabody (Ty Burrell) is a dog that adopts a boy named Sherman (Max Charles). In the movie Peabody uses a time machine, named the WABAC, to teach Sherman about history. After a run-in with a classmate at school, Sherman uses the WABAC against Mr. Peabody’s wishes. The story, written by Jay Ward and Craig Wright is sweet and has a good message. I really enjoyed the story line of the difficulties of the father/son relationship. The only critique I have is that there might be too much going. Also the idea that the incredibly bright Mr. Peabody could lose Sherman is a little to far “fetched” for me. But the silly puns, Sherman’s clumsiness and the history lessons themselves really reminded me of how much I loved these characters. The addition of a back-story added a new level to the story, but they also reused some dialogue and scenes from the original, which was a great surprise.
The animation was excellent and the 3D added some depth but was not overly done. I was amazed at how much Mr. Peabody’s and Sherman’s voices sounded so much like the original. I think kids will enjoy the frantic nature of the movie, while the adults will love the references and the trip back to childhood.
4 of 5
