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 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.

I wasn't impressed watching the trailer. Thankfully, I got a chance of a pre-screening. I'm perplexed by the low ratings because I absolutely loved this movie! This is coming from someone who hasn't seen Mr. Peabody before.

Mr. Peabody is a genius dog who adopts a boy and raises him to be a genius too. Unfortunately things change when the boy goes to school and gets bullied by a girl. Mr. Peabody, to appease things, invites the girl and her parents to a dinner at their house, everything goes haywire from there and we meet some pretty interesting characters from the past.

What made this movie special is the little details that are revealed along the way like how Sherman was adopted. The animation is fantastic and the 3D adorns it. As someone who likes puns, I absolutely loved the jokes, not just from Mr. Peabody but from other characters in the movie as well. Agamemnon was hilarious! Not everything is funny though, there are a few serious and tear jerking moments that make this movie special.

My only complaint is that some time travel stuff explained in the movie can be a bit hard to understand for children. Other than that, it's an absolute treat both for children and adults. Go watch it!

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.

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.