3/6/14

Mr. Peabody and Sherman

The tagline says "He's leaving his mark on history," which is funny when you remember that Mr. Peabody is a dog. Of course this is the brilliant dog who invented the WABAC ("Way-Back") Machine and adopted a little boy named Sherman.

This animated PG movie is based on the wonderful television series by the same name that started in the late 50s and ran in the 60s. By now, fans should have children and grandchildren to bring along...smile... They will be exposed to a smattering of history and will be entertained all the way. Much of the sly humor is aimed at the adults who buy the tickets.

Here are the characters:
  • Mr. Peabody swears Sherman to secrecy, particularly about the WABAC.
  • Sherman can't keep a secret, particularly from a big-eyed little girl.
  • Penny Peterson is a cruel, cunning, curious little charmer.
  • Patty and Paul Peterson are her parents.
  • Marie Antoinette, Robespierre, Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci, King Tut, George Washington, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein (with a Rubic's Cube), Abraham Lincoln, and too many others to count, e.g., combatants in the Trojan War. Of course they were wasted on the little 'uns, but we recognize their names.
My VERY favorite segments:
  1. A montage of Mr. Peabody adopting Sherman, then teaching him to walk, ride a bike, and many more lovely moments of parenting, with "Beautiful Boy" by John Lennon playing in the background.
  2. "I am a dog," which echoed, "I am Spartacus!" of classic cinema.
This is a wild ride; I am positive the parents had a better time than the children, but I didn't hear any complaints. Me? I really enjoyed it.
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You'll enjoy this trailer:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2263394329/
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