CinemaNerdz

Movie Review: Mr. Peabody and Sherman

Dane Jackson

I’m typically not a fan of modern cinematic interpretations of classic television. Let’s face it, Hollywood doesn’t really have the best track record with these types of movies. All I have to do is point to films like Land of the Lost, Speed Racer, Rocky & Bullwinkle, and Dudley Do-Right to make my point. Thankfully though, Mr. Peabody & Sherman doesn’t follow suit and instead rises to the top.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman tells the story of a genius dog and his adopted son Sherman. In order to give Sherman the best education possible, Mr. Peabody (voiced by Modern Family‘s Ty Burrell) creates a time machine called the WABAC (pronounced “way back”) and takes him to various historical moments in the past. When Sherman goes to school for the first time, this expanded education ruffles the feathers of his newfound class rival, Penny Peterson (Burrell’s Modern Family co-star Ariel Winter). A lunchroom altercation between the two leaves Sherman in trouble and his relationship with Mr. Peabody in jeopardy. To make things right, Peabody invites the Petersons (voiced by Stephen Colbert and Leslie Mann) to dinner. While left to play alone and make amends, Sherman and Penny end up using the WABAC instead – which of course sets the film’s major conflict in motion.

The film is a quick 90 minutes that will no doubt be fun for the whole family. There are enough inside jokes, puns, and nods for adults to appreciate, but in all seriousness, even without them, Mr. Peabody & Sherman shines. When you look at everyone who was involved though, it would be hard for them to make a bad movie. From the voice talent to the writers (including Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant from Reno! 911) and director (Rob Minkoff, who also co-directed The Lion King), Dreamworks got the formula for success right with this film.

Peabody (Ty Burrell) tries to retrieve his time-traveling son Sherman (Max Charles) from the Trojan War. Photo Credit: © 2014 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved. MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN TM AND © Ward Productions.

At the end of the day though, Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a full-fledged kid’s movie with a bit of nostalgia thrown in for good measure. I can talk about plot, actors, writers, and directors until I’m blue in the face. The bottom line is that your kids will like it. The movie is a lot of fun – more fun than expected to be certain. If you’re looking for a fun trip down memory lane, or a fun night out with the family, Mr. Peabody & Sherman will not disappoint.

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Dane Jackson

Dane Jackson has been writing about movies since high school when he had a monthly column in the school paper about cult movies. His cinematic tastes have matured (slightly) since then.
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