MR PEABODY AND SHERMAN

US, 2014, 92 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Alison Janney, Stephen Tobolowsky, Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann.
Directed by the Rob Minkoff.

Mr Peabody is a beagle who introduces himself to the film audience as something more than a genius. Sherman is a seven-year-old boy with big glasses and spiky hair. He has been adopted by Mr Peabody which means that we have a comic reversal of roles of ‘every boy must have his dog – every dog must have his boy’!

This brightly animated film has been directed by Rob Minkoff, the director of that popular family film, Stuart Little. Once again we have tongue-in-cheek comedy about children and dogs.

Whether you enjoy this film or not will depend on whether your fancy is tickled by eccentric visits to the historical past – and by an enjoyment of puns. A lot of it will go over the heads of children who may enjoy the images nonetheless. Adults will be amused with some of the references from Bill Clinton joining Washington and Clinton and making a brief comment about his pardons, and a scene where everybody supports Mr Peabody by exclaiming ‘I am a dog’ – with an image of Kirk Douglas as Spartacus proclaiming ‘I am Spartacus’.

Mr Peabody has invented a time machine and off he and Sherman go so that Sherman’s education can be fostered. They visit France at the time of the French Revolution, see a largish Marie Antoinette eating cake (and Sherman enjoying the cake as well). Robespierre is there and would later get his comeuppance. But Mr Peabody is one of the aristocrats and finds himself under the blade of the guillotine with Sherman watching in the crowd – but, luckily, he can escape through the time machine. There is a visit to Egypt and King Tut, a visit to Troy and being inside the wooden horse, with conversations with Agamemnon and co. And there is quite a long visit to the Renaissance, Mr Peabody discussing physics and other matters with Leonardo da Vinci (who is having trouble with his severe model for the Mona Lisa) while Sherman and his school friend, Penny, who has accompanied them, test out da Vinci’s flying machine.

Where can it all end? There is a rift in time with all the historical characters turning up together – and some extras including Einstein – in the present with Mr Peabody trying to work out how to resolve the problem. It is Sherman who actually comes up with the final solution, driving the time machine backwards!

The main villain of the piece is one of the teachers at school who dislikes Mr Peabody and is severe with Sherman. She is Mrs Grunion – and an interesting fate awaits her!

Ty Burrell voices Mr Peabody, Max Charles is Sherman. A good supporting cast of voices includes Alison Janney as the fearsome Mrs Grunion.

An entertaining story of a dog and his boy.

1. An entertaining animation film? Target audiences? Children, families, adults? Story and characters? History? Humour?

2. The style of animation, Mr Peabody and the comic touches with the dog? Sherman as the comic strip boy and his classes? The humans? Historical characters?

3. The premise: Mr Peabody, the outline of his genius, of all the detail of his accomplishment? His voice tone?

4. His adopting Sherman, the case for adopting him? Sherman, the boy, his voice, glasses, spiky hair? The relationship of father and son?

5. The episodes at school, the principal, Mrs Grunion and her severity, the caricature with her voice and size? Penny, her parents? The threats to Sherman and Mr Peabody?

6. Mr Peabody and his invention of a Time Machine, going on trips, Sherman and his experience, the dangers, Mr Peabody protecting him? The escapes?

7. French Revolution, Marie Antoinette, the episodes of cake, Sherman eating the cake, Robespierre and his severity, the guillotine, Mr Peabody as an aristocrat, the guillotine, escaping? Sherman watching?

8. Egypt, King Tut, the characters, the invention, the help?

9. Leonardo da Vinci, his inventions, the atmosphere of the Renaissance, Penny on the trip? Mr Peabody and the conversations with da Vinci? The flying machine, Sherman and his delight, Leonardo pleased? Crash, preparing the machine for the return, Sherman hammering the pegs?

10. Troy, Agamemnon, the wooden horse, the joke about the little horse, the battle? The range of warriors?

11. Mrs Grunion, the attack, appearance, concerned about Sherman?

12. The rift in time, all historical characters turning up the episodes with Einstein, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln? The Greek soldier and his
attraction to Mrs Grunion? Jokes about Spartacus, everybody saying ‘I am a dog’? The glimpse of Bill Clinton?

13. Sherman, the idea of travelling backwards, going to the machine, calculations, Sherman, success? The soldier taking Mrs Grunion back to Greece?

14. Mr Peabody, Sherman and his feeling harsh about his father, upset, the reconciliation, everybody saying ‘I am a dog’ – and the Kirk Douglas looking Spartacus saying ‘I am Spartacus’?

15. Some subjects: acknowledgement of differences, adoption, the child-parent relationships?

16. An entertainingly joyful animation story?