A Brainy Animated Comedy for the Older Kids: “Mr. Peabody & Sherman”
Mr. Peabody is no ordinary dog. He’s a genius, fluent in multiple languages, a master of science, business, and sports, and a significant figure in global politics. Oh, and he’s also a loving father to his adopted human son, Sherman. Thanks to Peabody’s invention of a time machine, the duo frequently embarks on educational adventures through history. However, things get complicated when Sherman shares his historical insights at school, making an enemy of Penny, the class’s resident know-it-all. A playground scuffle leads to Peabody inviting Penny and her parents over to smooth things over. But when Sherman shows Penny the time machine, she convinces him to take an unauthorized trip to ancient Egypt, setting off a series of events that require Peabody to rescue them.
Peabody and Sherman originated as characters in the “Rocky and Bullwinkle Show,” which aired in the US from 1959 to 1964.
DreamWorks Animation is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get. While the studio has maintained a relatively high standard recently, last year’s “Turbo” proved that “rarely” doesn’t mean “never.” So, where does “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” fall? Is it a hit like “Shrek” or “How to Train Your Dragon,” or a miss like “Turbo” or “Bee Movie”?
The answer is neither. “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” lands somewhere in the middle, but unfortunately, not in the sweet spot. The film’s primary issue is similar to that of “Bee Movie” and “Shark Tale”: despite being rated “0+” in some regions, it’s not really a movie for preschoolers, or even all elementary school children.
Consider the historical figures featured: Washington, Lincoln, Tutankhamun, da Vinci, Marie Antoinette, Robespierre, Einstein, Agamemnon, Odysseus… Not every adult can immediately identify them all. “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” assumes a certain level of historical knowledge, as the humor and plot points rely on the audience’s familiarity with these figures. Director Rob Minkoff (of “The Lion King” fame) and his team have created a film less for education and more for educated viewers. However, it’s not quite mature or universal enough to fully engage teenagers and adults. The ideal audience is a history-loving, sci-fi-enthusiastic ten-year-old who doesn’t require deep emotional resonance from their cartoons (sorry, “Frozen” fans!) and who will appreciate time-hopping adventures, perilous situations, and historical jokes interspersed with some toilet humor (guess which end of the Trojan horse the Greek soldiers emerge from?). Such children exist, of course, but does your child fit this description? And was a time-travel plot, perhaps better suited for a teen movie (think “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure”), the right choice for a children’s film?
The Peabody Problem
The second issue is Mr. Peabody himself. He’s just too perfect. Batman isn’t worthy to tie his shoelaces. The Doctor from “Doctor Who” isn’t worthy to hand him toilet paper. Tony Stark isn’t worthy to be in the same room with him. Mr. Peabody can do anything, knows everything, and never loses his composure, even when facing the guillotine. He has no Achilles’ heel – physically, mentally, or emotionally. This makes him more irritating than impressive. A well-designed superhero needs vulnerabilities and imperfections. “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” attempts to address this by focusing on Peabody’s “dog-ness” (when Sherman gets into a fight at school, a social worker tries to prove that a dog shouldn’t be raising a human, and this blatant discrimination briefly upsets Peabody). However, this is a secondary plot line and doesn’t compensate for Peabody’s overall flawlessness during the adventures, where he never has to push himself beyond his limits.
Final Verdict
However, if you can overlook these issues, “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” is a lively, engaging, and sometimes surprisingly heartfelt animated film with high-quality animation. Furthermore, the film’s relative intellectualism is both a weakness and a strength. It’s not every day you see a bespectacled dog fencing, programming, hanging out with geniuses, and building a time machine out of rocks and sticks! Peabody may not be the best superhero, but he’s a fantastic role model. After all, he’s also a great father and a skilled cook. And he’d be far more irritating if he weren’t such an adorable white dog that you just want to pet.