Was anyone really asking for a Mr. Peabody movie? Do kids
these days even know who Mr. Peabody and Sherman are? This has always seemed to me like a very odd
choice of property to build a feature film around. The original shorts were prone to witty humor
more akin to a radio sketch than a feature length narrative, and the titular
characters were little more than archetypes of the self-important brainiac and
his bumbling assistant. And yet, here we
are, watching Hollywood scrape the bottom of the barrel for anything with an
iota of brand recognition to package as an inevitable success animated
picture. So how did it turn out? Eh, alright, I guess.
The word “inoffensive” springs to mind. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that there’s
anything outright “bad” about the film, but it’s just not a great or very
ambitious one. The film’s opening scenes
play out like a modern version of its source material, fourth wall-breaking
narration and all. The way that
historical figures are played with is also reminiscent of the whimsical feel of
the shorts, but that’s about where the similarities end. What follows after the opening scenes is a
story about how Mr. Peabody, as Sherman’s adoptive parent, must fight to retain
custody of Sherman after Sherman gets into a fight at school. See, Child Protective Services is after Mr.
Peabody because dogs shouldn’t be allowed to raise kids, and Sherman’s
altercation with a school bully is the perfect excuse to take Sherman
away. This leads to Mr. Peabody inviting
the bully’s family over for dinner, and after Sherman shows the bully, named
Penny, the time machine and goes back in time, the trio embark on a
time-hopping adventure.
The different time periods that the characters visit don’t
so much have a connecting plot as they are convenient vignette setpieces for
action spectacle, broken up by obligatory character development. Peabody begins to realize he’s overprotective
of Sherman, Sherman feels betrayed that Mr. Peabody didn’t tell him about Child
Protective Services, and Penny… well, she’s the obligatory girl character and
doesn’t get much characterization. In
fact, she starts out as a school bully, but has a pretty instant change of
heart into a scrappy adventurer without much explanation. Sherman also goes from hating her to falling
in love with her at the drop of a hat (or mummified arm as the scene in
question would have it.) All in all,
though, the film hits all the plot points it needs to in order to be coherent,
but it’s not interested in being very original about it.
The film’s sense of humor is a little hit and miss, relying
minimally on Peabody’s groan-worthy puns and instead relying on stretchy,
cartoon slapstick that is sure to keep the target audience of seven-year-olds
plenty entertained. Amidst the flashy
colors and action, however, there is some noticeable drops in animation quality
at some points. Sometimes characters
move stiffly, and a few character models seem grossly disproportioned. I’m sure it’s nothing the kids will notice,
but I found it somewhat distracting.
Overall, Mr. Peabody
and Sherman is a pretty forgettable children’s flick. While it’s at least trying to be funny and
uses its historical locales to decent effect, the story is simply an excuse to
visit those setpieces and the central conflict ends up feeling a bit forced
because of it. There’s some obvious
allegory for the right of a gay adoptive parent to raise a child, but that plot
point is never really dwelled on enough for the point to hit home. The parts that are worth watching are the
ones that replicate the spirit of the original cartoon shorts, even if they are
saturated with cartoon action. If you
have kids, this isn’t a bad one to sit through.
Otherwise, it’s not really worth your time.
What cartoon relic will Hollywood dig up next? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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