Die Abenteuer von Mr. Peabody & Sherman

It's quite noticeable that Dreamworks Animation is trying to break visual grounds in their most recent movies, but Mr. Peabody and Sherman gives a little reminder on their original magic. The first half shows how charming the worlds they can bring even without shoving too much spectacles, the characters bursting out absurd personality that may sometimes be senseless yet terribly affable. But of course, it's an adventure traveling through historical events, but it kind of falls short on the concept and rather places those things into a bumpy ride with a dramatic center. Those things could have worked if it was more sincere, but the real enjoyment lies on the basics where you let the mockeries and the humor speak.

There is a nice additional depth behind the quirky and interesting relationship of the two, it makes their reintroduction on screen feel a lot fresh. The growth of their connection kicks in the plot, and that is when it starts becoming a bit forced. It doesn't seem comfortable with heightening the material. Turning things big and emotional is more like a must for the film to have because apparently that is what most animation today usually strive for. None of it actually plummets things down, but the story is probably better off smaller. People should remember the studio is more than trippy visuals and celebrity voices, in the end it's the simple witty humor that provides the genuine color in their movies.

The plot here should have focused more on the intersection between education and parody within the historical settings than building epic proportions in its little plot. The typical elements are still fun. Ty Burrell is dashing as Mr. Peabody even with the seriousness that embodies the character do too sparks a sense of heart. The entire cast delivers the comedy admirably and it really leaves the viewers hungry for more. The zany effects kind of interrupts most of that, but the animation is still great overall. The designs are wonderfully loyal to its cartoony essence which is one of the striking things to pay close attention to.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman is completely fun when it doesn't try following the modern roots of the genre. It's a lot brilliant when it's just traveling time, meeting a caricatured version of a particular historical figure, stopping candles, and let the personalities of the characters develop on their own without being too didactic. The relationship of Peabody and Sherman is already compelling at the start, but they could have think of better choices to justify its center. There are still plenty of strong stuff worth seeing around, it just needs to be cleverer.

It's hard to imagine somebody trying to pitch the story for Mr. Peabody & Sherman - "Let's make a movie about a genius dog who goes travelling in time and space with his adopted human son!" Well, actually, someone did make that pitch... way back in the 1950s. The two characters first appeared in Rocky And His Friends, an animated television show that will ring a bell with American audiences. But those of us who are less familiar with these characters needn't fret: this new incarnation by DreamWorks Animation is bright, funny and packed with great gags, a pleasingly smart treat for kids and adults alike.

Mr. Peabody (voiced by Ty Burrell) is the brainiest dog in all the land, and a celebrated inventor, athlete and businessman to boot. From his lonely perch atop the world, he decides to adopt a baby boy. Everything goes well until the bespectacled Sherman (Max Charles) starts school. Forced to play nice with Penny (Ariel Winter), a classmate who ridicules him for having a dog as a father, Sherman shows her the WABAC: a time machine invented by Mr. Peabody to allow his son to bear witness to history in the making. Together, Sherman and Penny embark on a trip across time that could destroy the past, the present and the future.

Bouncing merrily from the French Revolution to ancient Greece by way of the Italian Renaissance, Mr. Peabody & Sherman messes mischievously with history - we're presented with a cake-obsessed Marie Antoinette (Lauri Fraser), a volatile Mona Lisa (Lake Bell) and a beef-headed Agamemnon (Patrick Warburton). Most of these references will likely be lost on younger viewers, but there's still plenty to keep them entertained. As the film races along in its madcap way, gags and puns (so bad they're brilliant) are tossed at the audience in such great amounts that it's rather amazing that most of them work as well as they do.

The film does suffer a little from its breakneck pace, as it rushes headlong towards a cataclysmic convergence of the past and the present. The story gets a little lost in the shuffle of history, with almost too much to absorb by the time nefarious social services worker Ms. Grunion (voiced with wicked relish by Allison Janney) turns up - a canine bigot to the core - and threatens to remove Sherman from Mr. Peabody's custody.

Nevertheless, director Rob Minkoff manages to pull the whole thing off, balancing the film's largely irreverent tone with a surprisingly heartfelt ending. He even crafts a father-son moment near the end of the film that's both shamelessly sweet and a cheeky nod to cinematic history. (Think Kirk Douglas and Stanley Kubrick circa 1960.) It's all quite enough to suggest that there's a bright cinematic future ahead for this little boy and his dog/dad.

Based on a 60's short 'Peabody's Improbable History', DreamWorks and director Rob Minkoff ('The Lion King') bring the original characters up- to-date in this wonderfully charming and colourful romp.

The story tells of Mr. Peabody, a talking canine (voiced by Modern Family's Ty Burrell), and his adopted "pet" son Sherman. An incident on Sherman's first day of school leads to Peabody inviting Penny and her parents for dinner, hoping the kids will reconcile their differences and avoiding potential loss of custody over Sherman. In an attempt to impress Penny, however, Sherman accidentally reveals the WABAC - Peabody's time travelling machine and ends up rewriting history that will have dire consequences in the future if not set right.

I hadn't seen the original cartoon until I saw the film, but I caught the introduction episode on YouTube after and there were several scenes/dialogue that's been re-used in the movie. Even though it holds no nostalgia for me, it's a great little touch.

The vocal talent is also great. There's the aforementioned Burrell, but also some other well-known names including, but not limited to, Stanley Tucci, Patrick Warburton (Kronk from 'The Emperor's New Groove'), Mel Brooks and Stephen Toblowsky. Their indistinguishable voices really liven up their respectable characters. And, while, Robert Downey Jr. was originally cast as Peabody, Burrell does a commendable job here.

After being less than impressed with prior DreamWorks entries 'The Croods' and, more recently, 'Turbo', I ended up enjoying this a lot more than I initially thought I would. The humour is very child-friendly and it's still a step down from what I like to call the "old" DreamWorks ('Shrek', etc.), but it is great family entertainment.

The story is on the predictable side, but has a great message and will keep parents and older siblings entertained, while the zany energy and characters will keep the kids amused. They might even pick up a thing or two about history.

7/10.

I saw the trailers and I expected it to be more concentrated on time travel and not have much of a story line. Well there is. A fantastic one at that! "Mr. Peabody and Sherman" is a wonderful story about a dog who adopts a boy.

The film also has lots of animated things to love - like history, comedy, romance, suspense and so much more. To make it even better – characters come to live thanks to the brilliant voice-over actors such as Ty Burrel and Max Charles.

The film starts when a young puppy is growing up in different shelters. From a very early age he shows everyone how very special he is. He is intelligent, athletic and smooth. He wins many prizes, but his greatest adventure happens when he adopts a boy. Together they go through multiple adventures and troubles but able to stay together.

I love so much about this film. The film itself is fantastic! I love how they take twenty five-minute shows that had old, colored 2-D animation and turn it into modern 3D animation with the use of modern technology.

My favorite scene is when they show the story of how Mr. Peabody adopts Sherman. They show points throughout Sherman's little life of great moments, like his first step in 1709. Then it shows how he finds Sherman. That is definitely a sweet and loving part!

This movie has a bit of violence in it, therefore I recommend it to ages 5-18. I also believe that adults who admired this cartoon kids, will love this new version of these beloved characters. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Reviewed by Gerry O, KIDS FIRST Film Critic. For more reviews, go to kidsfirst dot org.

From the creators of ¨How to Train Your Dragon¨ and the director of ¨The Lion King¨ bring us a new adventure stars Mr. Peabody & Sherman. Mr. Peabody (Ty Burrell's voice) is a talking dog who is the smartest living thing in the world. Mr. Peabody is an inventor, scientist, Nobel Prize winner, gourmet, two-time Olympic medalist and a genius. He also happens to be a dog... a dog who has adopted a human child, Sherman (Max Charles' voice). . Mr. Peabody, canine of superior intellect realizes that he needs to adopt a boy. In his search comes across Sherman. Using his most ingenious invention, a time-travel machine, Mr. Peabody and his son Sherman are able to experience firsthand the events and characters that have changed the world throughout its history. Along the way, they soon have to fix the timeline and return to present day. But when Sherman breaks the rules of time travel, the two heroes will have to repair history and save the future. He's leaving his mark on history !. History is catching up with them !. Meet Mr. Peabody March 7 !. The Dogfather of all comedies !. The time traveling misadventures of a genius dog and his adopted son !.

Rob Minkoff returns to animated film - after The Lion King and the Stuart Little saga - with this comedy of adventures and time travel that reimagines the classic animated series from the 1950s and that had a sequel ¨Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show¨ (2015-2017) . In ¨Mr. Peabody & Sherman¨(2014) actor Ty Burrell voices Mr. Peabody in the original version. Fantasy, magic and adventure for the whole family come together in this US animated film about a a very special pair of protagonists a naughty boy and his dog father and the power to change fate. There is continuous non-stop entertainment with frenetic action, good staging and adventures of all kinds in which our starring will face a thousand and one dangers in order to to escape from a temporal mess in which a time machine has sent them through various periods of history . There are some historical references, important events and historical characters that will entertain the little ones, as well as instructing or educate them, including the following: French Revolution, Ancient Egypt, sacking of Troy as the Trojan Horse , Renaissance Florence including several historical figures as Queen Antoinette, Robespierre, Tutankhamun, Agamenon, Leonardo Da Vinci with his Mona Lisa, Beethoven, Gandhi, William Shakespeare, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Bill Clinton, among others. The film is technically acceptable with a colorful pop approach accentuated by contrasts of time and space. The story, with basic positive messages, action enough and continous amusement, but it does stand out for its inventiveness in humor, originality or the keys it handles. So the director of ¨Mr. Peabody & Sherman(2014)¨ takes us on an adventure where fantasy prevails over everything else, although everything else is equally exciting.

There's a good and lively musical score by composer Danny Elfman. The film was well directed by Rob Minkoff. Rob Minkoff, is a successful filmmaker with several hits, such as: Haunted mansion, The Forbidden Kingdom, Stuart Little I and II, Lion King, Adventures of Peabody and Sherman, Flypaper and Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank(2022). Rob was approached to direct Beauty and the Beast (1991), but the studio turned him down because he wanted complete creative control. He has directed one film that has been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: The Lion King (1994).

Mr. Peabody & Sherman(2014) Rating: 7.5/10. Better than average. Well worth watching.