MR.PEABODY & SHERMAN
By Gary Murray
Starring the voice talent of Ty Burrell, Max Charles and Stephen Colbert
Written by Craig Wright
Directed by Rob Minkoff
Running time 93 min
MPAA Rating PG
Selig Film Rating FULL PRICE
Jay Ward was the mad genius behind such Saturday morning shows as George of the Jungle, Rocky and Bullwinkle and Super Chicken. One of the other cartoons imbedded into the mix was Peabody & Sherman. It was the adventures of a genius dog and his assistant boy, Sherman.
Within the adventures there was the ‘WABAC machine’ a time machine. Peabody would teach Sherman lessons of history. It usually included slapstick and outrageous puns. Hollywood, in the search for nostalgic comfort and cash, has turned this 2D cartoon from the mid-1960s into a 21st Century work of CGI 3D glory.
The idea behind Mr. Peabody & Sherman the movie is an origin story. Mr. Peabody (voiced by Ty Burrell) is a genius dog, a breed beyond all other pooches. To make his life complete, he adopts his boy, Sherman (voiced by Max Charles). This is a change from the series.
Sherman is a good kid but pales in intelligence to Mr. Peabody. Sherman is just a normal kid and Peabody is the instructor who is also a cultural icon. Peabody still has the WABAC machine, but it is a flying time machine that travels through worm holes.
There are slight problems with the relationship between the two. Since Mr. Peabody is a genius, he expects Sherman to be just as smart. Sherman is just a youngster, struggling with life and school.
Sherman has a rival at school Penny (Ariel Winter). In class, Sherman corrects Penny and eventually an altercation happens. Mr. Peabody finds that there could be some serious ramifications to this and invites Penny’s parents over to smooth things down. Sherman shows Penny the WABAC machine and they go on a trip. When they do this, they change history.
Mr. Peabody must take the two back through time to fix this while still hosting the dinner party. The trio goes back to Ancient Egypt and The Invasion of Troy within their adventures. They meet Leonard da Vinci, King Tut, Mona Lisa, and Albert Einstein among others.
The more that they try to fix things, the more things go wrong. Eventually there is a rip in the space/time continuum and the past comes into the present. Along the way, we get bad puns and silly jokes. It all builds to a third act to save the universe.
Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a perfect homage to the original series. Director Rob Minkoff (Lion King) captures the basic elements of the cartoon and brings them into a CGI modern world. The images created for the screen are modern and a step above what has been shown in recent entertainment. More important, he captures the fun and silliness of the series.
At the same time, the actual animation is flawless. We get the ‘jump-out’ moments of 3D with swords coming at the audience and the depth of image that makes these films a joy to watch. It is a film worth the extra money to see it in 3D.
It is in the secondary characters where much of the magic of Mr. Peabody & Sherman happens. Patrick Warburton plays Agamemnon and milks every moment. He is drool and crass but funny. Mel Brooks gets to be Albert Einstein, a welcome casting. The great Lake Bell is a pendulant Mona Lisa. It is also one of the best uses of the John Lennon songs “Beautiful Boy”.
Mr. Peabody & Sherman is one of the true gems of 2014, a film that has a shot to be nominated for Best Animated Film at year’s end. It is an audience pleasing adventure that should become a series of films.
