Credible Credits
Year: 2014
Director: Rob Minkoff
Starring: Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Ariel Winter, Stanley Tucci, and Patrick Warburton
Tagline: History is catching up with them.
Synopsis: The improbable adventures of Mr. Peabody -- a genius who happens to be a dog -- and his adopted boy Sherman as they time travel through history.
Synopsis: The improbable adventures of Mr. Peabody -- a genius who happens to be a dog -- and his adopted boy Sherman as they time travel through history.
Review
Let me begin by saying that I have fond memories of watching reruns of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show from when I was a kid. I loved the quirky humor. And I always enjoyed the segment, Peabody's Improbable History. I think by the time I started watching the show I knew enough about history to get the jokes and know how far they'd stretched the truth. After all, how realistic could you get with a genius, talking dog as your main character?
I should back up though. I guess it has been a while since I saw a Dreamworks animated film. Have they always done short films before the feature? I don't remember any of them. Maybe it is a new thing and they are trying to be cool like Disney (Paperman was better than Wreck-It Ralph) or awesome like Pixar (Gerry's Game, 'nuff said). If it is a new thing, they started with a fail. I don't even remember what the short was called. It was colorful, but nonetheless bland. It finished and I thought, "Wait, that's it?" I've seen commercials with more heart and humor. Bleh.
Sorry, back to the actual movie.
Mr. Peabody and Sherman does a nice job paying homage to its origins. It even begins and ends with the same lines as the very first Peabody's Improbable History segment. It also ends with the same disgruntled, bristle-brush mustachioed street sweeper cleaning up after the final parade. Nice.
And it is fairly true to the zany view of history and historical figures. This is certainly not a movie that is trying to teach history. It is a film having fun with history and embracing anachronisms. And, true to the original, Mr. Peabody loves to crack terrible puns. Case in point: Peabody and Sherman find themselves in an Egyptian tomb where a mummy loses its arm, freaking out Sherman. Peabody responds with, "Well, that's disarming." What can I say, I'm a fan of puns.
The humor in the film is more than just puns though. It manages to run the full gamut: from body odor gags to humorous references about Oedipus ("You do not want to go to family dinner at his house. Awkward!"). How many in the audience actually got the Oedipus joke I don't know. But I appreciated it. While it is hardly laugh out loud worthy, there are certainly enough chuckles to keep most people amused throughout. I think my favorite gag had to be the "I'm Spartacus!" line during the climax. Terrific usage of a famous movie quote.
As for the story itself, well, it is fairly predictable. And by the end it starts getting a bit convoluted (a typical consequence of ripping holes in that pesky space-time continuum). It does have some heart as it strives to be not just an adventure, but a "father" and son bonding tale. I got the impression it was trying to take a few pages out of Finding Nemo's book with the whole "You think you can do these things, but you can't" setup. But it just doesn't quite work here. I guess you might say the film only puts forward a halfhearted attempt to have heart.
The film is visually fun and the voice acting is pretty spot on. It's not a terrific movie, but it's fun and worth seeing, if not in theaters then via Redbox or Netflix. So if someone asks if you want to see Mr. Peabody and Sherman, just say "Sure, man." (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)
I should back up though. I guess it has been a while since I saw a Dreamworks animated film. Have they always done short films before the feature? I don't remember any of them. Maybe it is a new thing and they are trying to be cool like Disney (Paperman was better than Wreck-It Ralph) or awesome like Pixar (Gerry's Game, 'nuff said). If it is a new thing, they started with a fail. I don't even remember what the short was called. It was colorful, but nonetheless bland. It finished and I thought, "Wait, that's it?" I've seen commercials with more heart and humor. Bleh.
Sorry, back to the actual movie.
Mr. Peabody and Sherman does a nice job paying homage to its origins. It even begins and ends with the same lines as the very first Peabody's Improbable History segment. It also ends with the same disgruntled, bristle-brush mustachioed street sweeper cleaning up after the final parade. Nice.
And it is fairly true to the zany view of history and historical figures. This is certainly not a movie that is trying to teach history. It is a film having fun with history and embracing anachronisms. And, true to the original, Mr. Peabody loves to crack terrible puns. Case in point: Peabody and Sherman find themselves in an Egyptian tomb where a mummy loses its arm, freaking out Sherman. Peabody responds with, "Well, that's disarming." What can I say, I'm a fan of puns.
The humor in the film is more than just puns though. It manages to run the full gamut: from body odor gags to humorous references about Oedipus ("You do not want to go to family dinner at his house. Awkward!"). How many in the audience actually got the Oedipus joke I don't know. But I appreciated it. While it is hardly laugh out loud worthy, there are certainly enough chuckles to keep most people amused throughout. I think my favorite gag had to be the "I'm Spartacus!" line during the climax. Terrific usage of a famous movie quote.
As for the story itself, well, it is fairly predictable. And by the end it starts getting a bit convoluted (a typical consequence of ripping holes in that pesky space-time continuum). It does have some heart as it strives to be not just an adventure, but a "father" and son bonding tale. I got the impression it was trying to take a few pages out of Finding Nemo's book with the whole "You think you can do these things, but you can't" setup. But it just doesn't quite work here. I guess you might say the film only puts forward a halfhearted attempt to have heart.
The film is visually fun and the voice acting is pretty spot on. It's not a terrific movie, but it's fun and worth seeing, if not in theaters then via Redbox or Netflix. So if someone asks if you want to see Mr. Peabody and Sherman, just say "Sure, man." (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)
Quotable Quotes
- "You can't have your cake and edict too." -- Mr. Peabody
- "If at first you don't succeed ... Troy, Troy again." -- Mr. Peabody on his escape from the battle of Troy
- "I love you, Mr. Peabody." "I have a fond regard for you, too" -- Sherman and Mr. Peabody
- "I'm Spartacus!" -- Spartacus
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