I’m 33 years old and grew up watching exorbitant amounts of cartoons, yet I’ve never heard of Mr. Peabody until now. Part of the Rocky & Bullwinkle world, this animated series ran long before my time. So, why is a studio revisiting it now? Who knows, but they surely haven’t given it their all.
Mr. Peabody is an intelligent talking dog who does better in the human world than just about everyone out there. Somehow, he’s adopted a human body named Sherman. Peabody’s genius led him to invent the WABAC (pronounced “way back”), the world’s first time machine. With it, Peabody takes Sherman through time, teaching him about important historical lessons first-hand.
When Peabody tries to impress the parents of Sherman’s elementary school bully Penny, Sherman and Penny sneak off in the WABAC without his permission. Of course, they get into trouble and need Peabody to help them fix history.
The first half of Mr. Peabody & Sherman is dreadful. Jokes fall flat (especially the many dog butt, poop and fart jokes), turning the movie into a series of strike-outs. Fortunately, once the story takes a fun turn towards the Bill and Ted, entertainment comes naturally – but it’s too little to late. No matter how strong the second half is, it can’t make up for the first half.
If your kids are dying to see Mr. Peabody & Sherman, I recommend holding off for a discount theater or a Redbox rental.
(Photo credit: Fox)
