Based on the shorts that played during Rocky & Bullwinkle, Dreamworks Animations Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a great thrill ride for anyone who has a passion for history and a love of time travel.
Played convincingly by Ty Burrell of Modern Family, Mr. Peabody is the world's most brilliant canine who lives with his adopted boy Sherman (Max Charles). Thanks to his WABAC Machine, Mr. Peabody is able to introduce his son to some of the greatest legends of history. But on his first day of school, Sherman gets into a fight with classmate Penny Peterson (voiced by Ariel Winter, who coincidentally plays Burrell's daughter on Modern Family) after she makes fun of him for having a dog as a parent. After being called to the principals office and learning about the fight, Mr. Peabody discovers that his guardianship of Sherman is in jeopardy. In order to set things right he invited Penny and her parents (voiced by Stephen Colbert and Leslie Mann) over for dinner, which leads to Sherman showing Penny the WABAC Machine and her getting stuck in Ancient Egypt. Sherman enlists his dad's help to save her, and from there the trio embark on a time traveling adventure that takes them through the Renaissance and Ancient Rome.
Despite this being an animated movie, I was actually amazed by the films architecture. The historical settings feel so grand, so majestic, that it's hard not to feel like you are not at that particular place at that particular point in time. Perhaps my favorite scene in the movie is when Penny and Sherman soar over 16th Century Italy on a flying machine created by Leonardo da Vinci. It was reminiscent of the flying hippogriff scene in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and gave a sense of wonder and excitement that is missing from most movies these days.
However, there are a few shortcomings that should be addressed, the first of which is Sherman himself. There's nothing wrong with the kid, and that's exactly the problem. The character is just way too good. I'm not saying the writers should have made him a bad kid, but I wish they would have spent more time making him more three dimensional. Although she is a supporting character, Penny is a more dimensional character than Sherman and experiences greater character growth than he does, going from being a self-centered bully to someone who encourages Sherman to believe in himself.
The relationship between Sherman and his dad could have also used some more work. While it's clear that Mr. Peabody truly cares for his son, there's no real sense of tension between them, so when they do finally get into an argument it doesn't pull at the heartstrings like it did in A Goofy Movie or other films with a father-son relationship at its center.
In spite of its shortcomings, Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a thrill ride for people of all ages. I am hoping that in the next few years, Mr. Peabody and his adopted son will return to the big screen and take us on another time traveling adventure.
Played convincingly by Ty Burrell of Modern Family, Mr. Peabody is the world's most brilliant canine who lives with his adopted boy Sherman (Max Charles). Thanks to his WABAC Machine, Mr. Peabody is able to introduce his son to some of the greatest legends of history. But on his first day of school, Sherman gets into a fight with classmate Penny Peterson (voiced by Ariel Winter, who coincidentally plays Burrell's daughter on Modern Family) after she makes fun of him for having a dog as a parent. After being called to the principals office and learning about the fight, Mr. Peabody discovers that his guardianship of Sherman is in jeopardy. In order to set things right he invited Penny and her parents (voiced by Stephen Colbert and Leslie Mann) over for dinner, which leads to Sherman showing Penny the WABAC Machine and her getting stuck in Ancient Egypt. Sherman enlists his dad's help to save her, and from there the trio embark on a time traveling adventure that takes them through the Renaissance and Ancient Rome.
Despite this being an animated movie, I was actually amazed by the films architecture. The historical settings feel so grand, so majestic, that it's hard not to feel like you are not at that particular place at that particular point in time. Perhaps my favorite scene in the movie is when Penny and Sherman soar over 16th Century Italy on a flying machine created by Leonardo da Vinci. It was reminiscent of the flying hippogriff scene in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and gave a sense of wonder and excitement that is missing from most movies these days.
However, there are a few shortcomings that should be addressed, the first of which is Sherman himself. There's nothing wrong with the kid, and that's exactly the problem. The character is just way too good. I'm not saying the writers should have made him a bad kid, but I wish they would have spent more time making him more three dimensional. Although she is a supporting character, Penny is a more dimensional character than Sherman and experiences greater character growth than he does, going from being a self-centered bully to someone who encourages Sherman to believe in himself.
The relationship between Sherman and his dad could have also used some more work. While it's clear that Mr. Peabody truly cares for his son, there's no real sense of tension between them, so when they do finally get into an argument it doesn't pull at the heartstrings like it did in A Goofy Movie or other films with a father-son relationship at its center.
In spite of its shortcomings, Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a thrill ride for people of all ages. I am hoping that in the next few years, Mr. Peabody and his adopted son will return to the big screen and take us on another time traveling adventure.
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