Die Abenteuer von Mr. Peabody & Sherman

So I went to see this with not much expectation at all, the one trailer I had seen didn't really grab me but I decided to see it anyway and was pleasantly surprised. Mr. Peabody is this extremely intelligent dog who can talk and his adopted son Sherman is a 7-year-old boy who is a sponge for facts but quite slow practically. They go on adventures through time to learn about history. The movie sets that up in the first 15 minutes, which by the way it was done it looked like the movie was going to be some kids documentary about history but when it actually got into the story it was really fun. The comedy made me laugh, the visuals are stunning, I wish I could've seen it in 3D, the story is quite unique but also had similar elements of other movies, I got a Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure vibe and you get some pretty generic characters that you've seen in quite a lot of animated movies but the plot was't boring; I was interested to the end. The voice acting is pretty average but the way Mr. Peabody says things do add a certain something to the film. 8 out of 10.

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.

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.

Just watched this with my movie theatre-working friend. It's based on "Peabody's Improbable History", a cartoon that always aired in the middle of the "Rocky & Bullwinkle" show and had Mr. Peabody, a smart dog with glasses, and Sherman, his adopted human son-also with glasses, going to various important events in history ending with some kind of pun often said by Peabody to a bemused Sherman. This version takes some elements from the pilot episode (Peabody adopts Sherman amid some troubles) and also adds somewhat of a girlfriend from school for the boy. With that out of the way, I'll just say that I found some amusement at much of the humor concerning some historical figures and some modern lingo and I did laugh out loud a few times. There's even some heart rending scenes I liked. But nothing beats the charm of the old cartoons even though they weren't the best artistically in animation. Still, the computer-animation is visually pleasing so on that note, I recommend Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman is the story of an extremely intelligent dog named, Mr. Peabody(Ty Burrell) & his adopted human son, Sherman(Max Charles). Using a time traveling machine called, the WABAC, the duo travel to the past to experience iconic historic moments & meet historic people firsthand. However, after Sherman gets into trouble at school due to Penny Peterson(Ariel Winter), Peabody decides to invite Penny & her parents, Paul(Stephen Colbert) & Patty Peterson(Leslie Mann) for dinner to resolve the issue. However, the intelligent dog's plan horribly backfires when Sherman tells Penny about the WABAC & she being the obnoxious & inquisitive girl that she is, decides to do some time traveling of her own. Now, it's up to Mr. Peabody & Sherman to save Penny & return the space-time continuum to normal before the Petersons realize their daughter's missing.

I was laughing throughout the film & had a blast! I loved the fact that Mr. Peabody, who is a dog, is way more clever than the humans he interacts with. I loved the father-son relationship between Mr. Peabody & his human kid, Sherman. Though this scenario could never happen in a million years, the makers of the movie make their relationship believable & emotional at the same time. Mr. Peabody gets pretty emotional & sad seeing how fast Sherman is growing up. I loved the idea of time travel in an animated film, which kind of makes it a sci-fi film, as well! The voice acting is the highlight of the movie. Ty Burrell, best known for portraying Phil Dunphy on the hit sitcom, Modern Family, is equally hilarious, sarcastic, goofy & endearing as Mr. Peabody. Max Charles is adorable as the innocent little kid, Sherman. Ariel Winter, also known for playing Alex Dunphy on Modern Family, is outstanding as the obnoxious & curious, Penny Peterson. Allison Janney is spectacular as the main antagonist, Ms. Grunion. Stephen Colbert is impressive as Paul Peterson. Leslie Mann is amazing as Patty Peterson. The famous characters of historical importance are brilliant as well. Special mention should be made of, Stanley Tucci, Lake Bell & Patrick Warburton for their unforgettable voice overs of Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa & Agamemnon respectively. I would like to sign off by saying, Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a must watch for everyone who enjoys a darn good movie.