- davidahallnum5
Mr. Peabody and Sherman 3D Blu-ray Review
MOVIE REVIEW
Mr. Peabody and Sherman is a 2014 animated Dreamworks film about a genius dog named Mr. Peabody and his adopted son Sherman, as the title suggests. The two are a time traveling duo who've headed back in time and seen most of the major people and events in history. All seems to be going well for the between the two of them. But one day in the present, Sherman gets bullied by a young girl named Penny. Mr. Peabody finds out about this, but he realizes it isn't Penny that's in trouble, but Sherman as he bit her in self-defense. Ms. Grunion from Child Protective Services also catches wind about this and threatens to take Sherman away unless Peabody can prove to Penny's family that he's a true responsible and respectable parent in spite of his sons actions. So one night, Peabody invites Penny and her parents over to his penthouse (which looks a little something like this, by the way) for dinner to do just that. But troubles arise when Sherman shows Penny his father's time machine and she uses it to create mayhem. When Sherman goes back to the future to tell his dad about her predicament, they head back in time to pick up Penny and go back home, which through an array of events, ends up being a lot easier said than done.
Before I move onto how Peabody and Sherman works as a film, I think it should be fair for me to give a quick personal note: growing up, this used to be my favorite film. There were so many things about it that fascinated my kid self: dogs adopting human boys, time travel, two versions of one person living in the same timeline, what it'd be like to meet historical figures and the implications of the future that could come from that. While sure, this film doesn't lean quite as hard into any of concepts as other films have (except the one about the dog adopting a human boy), I thought it was introduced in a clever and entertaining way, and that was more than enough for me and my nine year old mind.
Nowadays of course, I view everything from a much more adult lens, which means many of the same things I consumed then would be probably be poison to me now. Thankfully, Mr. Peabody and Sherman isn't that at all. So is it something like Shrek where the creators made it to have an equal, if not greater, appeal to the teens and adults as with the kids? No. It's primarily made with kids in mind. But I honestly think there's a bit of charm in that, as it knows what to deliver its target audience and how to deliver it while also throwing in a few good nuggets for the adults to catch onto.
From an objective standpoint, there are definitely a couple things you could nitpick. For starters, Peabody and Sherman goes by at such a fast pace that some of the older folks might have a difficult time keeping track of everything. Usually, I praise movies for their fast pace, and quick moving kids movies are no stranger to general audiences. But with this one, I felt there were a couple moments that could've stood to be padded out a little more and let the audience sink them in. Also, the plot during the time traveling second act seems to be going around its elbow to get to its thumb, which gives us some fun shenanigans, but doesn't result in a terribly tight story.
However, while I'm sure those issues might bug some adults, kids will for sure not even care. And they don't drag down an otherwise fun and entertaining movie. Peabody and Sherman takes its source material about a dog and his boy time traveling and runs with it to give us some creative and funny looks at history from the Leonardo da Vinci struggling to get Mona Lisa to smile for his portrait to Peabody Trojan Horsing into the Trojan Horse run by Agamemnon (who's played by Patrick Warburton of all people). Sure, you get the occasional butt joke here and there. But for the most part, the film's sense of humor is pretty intelligent and subsequently quite hilarious, which helps make up for the fact that the adventures themselves don't actually do anything to move the plot forward.
At the same time, though, Peabody and Sherman also has plenty of heart. They touch on the father son dynamic between the two main leads quite well with themes about the complexities of parenthood, children's unpredictable actions and what that means for their parents, and the importance of fatherly love. Even better, the vocal performances match fantastically. Ty Burrell gives Peabody both his personal stoic and intelligent charm while also getting along the quiet gentleness he needs in the more emotional moments, of which there are a few. And the child actors for Sherman and Penny also work excellently with their characters. When the film does manage to slow down for the more heartfelt scenes, including a montage pretty early on showing Peabody's parenthood of Sherman during his early years with "Beautiful Boy" playing in the background, they're actually quite effective and help elevate the film over most common kids fare, though probably not to the same degree as something like Meet the Robinsons.
All in all, Mr. Peabody and Sherman is a cute and thoroughly enjoyable movie. Is it by all means perfect? Of course not. But for its few faults, we still have a story that's massively fun, imaginative, heartfelt, and has a great sense of humor. Even as an adult now, it still holds up well and delivers a pleasant time for all ages. It'll for sure entertain the young ones. While it might not stick too long with many of the adults, the creators of the film don't leave them out of the fun. The result, some good, solid family fare. And really, what more could you ask for from a movie like this?
OVERALL FILM RATING: 4/5
3D REVIEW
Dreamwork's track record of 3D films almost goes without saying nowadays. I was initially considering passing up this entry as while I didn't doubt the 3D would be good, I wasn't exactly expecting anything truly remarkable. Color me surprised as I discovered Mr. Peabody and Sherman's 3D is more than just decent, it's fantastic. You wouldn't think too much from a film about a dog and his boy. But in between the animated style, the time traveling premise, and the overall fun the creators have with the format, it's quite the 3D experience.
In general, most animated films lend themselves naturally to 3D, and Peabody and Sherman is no exception. On a basic level, the depths the film reaches are up to standards with many of today's 3D outings. We get wide views of the settings these characters visit from an ancient Egyptian kingdom to Florence, Italy to Paris, France to the great city of Troy to even modern day New York. Even in Peabody's penthouse, the windows show off just how away the buildings are. All impressive stuff. And inside most of these places are plenty of moments that make much 3D eye candy. In Paris, we get crowds of people standing and waiting for an execution, views down inside sewers, a large forest, a shot of fire blowing up out of manholes throughout the city, and even a shot where the camera is placed inside a small oven. Ancient Egypt also has a couple similarly impressive moments involving large statues and structures, large crowds, and far off landmarks. And of course, even New York City, Troy, and Florence all have their standout moments including things along the lines of battle scenes, big wooden structures, top down or bottom up shots of various structures, a couple top down views of a cliff, a large hole in the space time continuum, and even a couple of surprisingly deep one-shot driving scenes. Also mesmerizing to see in 3D are the scenes where the Wabac is zipping through the space time continuum and we see it go through some blue rings that make for great 3D composition. One of these scenes even includes a black hole with a stream of light visibly going into it. There are also a couple neat moments in which Peabody's quick thinking is visualized for the audience and see arrows and words appearing up in the environment.
Even indoors, there's still plenty of great 3D depth. We see the insides of giant Egyptian tombs and narrow passages, Peabody's penthouse is pretty large, there are couple of decent shots from inside the Trojan horse that exemplify how big it is, and we even get a fun bottom up shot of a flying machine from inside a church. Especially cool are several scenes where Peabody's Wabac machine stays and can only be accessed by crossing a narrow red bridge. The room is large enough as it is, but the mirrors that cover every wall really bring more 3D fun to the table. Even during the less impressive moments such as in a school, a kitchen, an office, or a bedroom, the depth continues to reign supreme and never let the picture get boring.
Yes, the depth on display is second to none. But also just like most all other animated films, Mr. Peabody and Sherman has lots of fun with its 3D. Even in the opening logos, Sherman throws out a fishing hook right out at you (though that's true for all other Dreamworks films). Like I said, the sequences involving the Wabac zipping through the time streams impressive in 3D. And when you're going through them with the characters besides observing them from the outside, it's especially mesmerizing. But much beyond that, we get some fun moments where the camera moves smoothly and swiftly such as when Mr. Peabody is making Penny's parents some drinks, the Trojan War is in full swing, and during sequences where the Wabac is flying through the air. There are two very cool scenes when the Wabac is traveling to a different time period and the environment starts out as a series of blue streaks of light before dissipating into the actual environment. Speaking of flight, there is one especially cool 3D scene in which Sherman and Penny are flying on Leonardo da Vinci's flying machine. The sweeping camera motions as the machine moves throughout the city are captivating. There are even a couple of shots in this sequences that almost look first person that will have you on the edge of your seat. A few chase sequences also make they're way into the plot which provide some engaging 3D. When the space time continuum gets broken, several people fall onto the Wabac machine in some bottom up views. And that's all not to mention a scene in the sewers in which out two main protagonists are surfing on a giant rush of water.
As for the pops outs, Mr. Peabody and Sherman is in no shortage of it. In the heights of its fun, we get everything from swords to spears to smoke to fire to a baseball to water splashes to fruit to a guillotine to a manhole cover to the Wabac to people jumping out at you to a couple of intimidating people's face to a hand to even a few fingers. There's even one shot in particular when the camera is set directly onto the sandy ground as Peabody and Sherman come up out of it, and Sherman's thumbs up feel like it can be touched. But even in subtler ways, characters themselves leave the screen pretty much all the time. Mr. Peabody especially benefits from this area of 3D as you get the feeling you can reach out and pet his nose. Other notable pieces of the surrounding environment you can look out for to protrude the screen are a bike mirror, a wheelchair handle, a Newton's cradle, a rope, holograms, a pizza box, and even the closing credits.
Do you need to see Mr. Peabody and Sherman in 3D to fully appreciate its story? Probably not. If you're only a casual 3D moviegoers, would you probably be better off spending your money on a much more groundbreaking 3D film? Maybe. But for 3D fans and those who want to get the most out this film, the third dimension is clearly the best way to experience Mr. Peabody and Sherman. It's full of depth and delivers all the 3D thrills you could want. Like most all other animated films, especially ones by Dreamworks, it does everything it can to make the 3D worth your time and money, and it succeeds in every respect. So whether you're looking for something to entertain your kids or your a 3D fan looking for a fun time, Peabody and Sherman should more than fit the bill.
3D RATING: GREAT
OTHER SOURCES THAT REVIEW THIS MOVIE'S 3D:
None. (That's a first)
FINAL THOUGHTS
Mr. Peabody and Sherman is a little bit of a paradox of a film. On one hand, it's a film I can see most other people seeing as fairly ok or decent. But at the same time, I also feel it doesn't quite enough credit. And I don't just say that because I grew up with the film. Yes, the execution can feel a little generic in some places. But the film overall is still charming and pleasant, and its premise allows for it to have plenty of smart fun, replacing all the pop culture references with historical jokes. And in spite of the fast pace, there is still a pretty sweet message about fatherhood and responsibility that I can't say I've seen in many other animated features of this type. In the end, it's a cute, funny, and thoroughly delightful movie, even if it's not quite high in competition against other films Dreamworks has made. And in a way, I can kinda enjoy it for that. I highly recommend it, and especially encourage you spring for the 3D Blu-ray. Being how as the film itself doesn't receive that much attention, naturally, the 3D would get even less attention. True, it probably doesn't hold a candle to other films like How to Train Your Dragon and even the Kung Fu Panda conversion. But on its own, it still holds up very well. It uses the added depth to its advantage virtually all the time and makes for an extra layer of fun to this already fun adventure movie. If you're a 3D fanatic, this is definitely worth picking up. And even for those who typically dish out on 3D flicks only every once in a while, this one will still bring you all enjoyment you'll be looking for, and maybe a little more.
BUY IT HERE
DID YOU LIKE "MR. PEABODY AND SHERMAN" IN 3D?
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