What if you had a very smart dog for a dad who invented a time machine? Kidzworld saw Mr. Peabody and Sherman and reviews the fun, time-warping animated romp through history.
By: Lynn Barker
Young Sherman Peabody has an amazingly smart dad who invented a time machine. Mr. Peabody takes his son on mind-bending time travel adventures. Life is good until Sherman goes to a new school and becomes the brunt of jokes and the target of a mean girl. You see, Mr. Peabody is a dog…literally!
Sherman tries to explain his antics at school
A Really Smart Dog
Mr. Peabody (voice of Ty Burrell), a super smart beagle who wears glasses and had a lonely puppyhood. He wasn’t adopted so he just studied and improved his mind until he became a famous inventor, chef, musician, diplomat and more. He invented the WABAC time machine and, to share his life, adopted human boy Sherman (voice of Max Charles) who was just abandoned in a box as a baby. The two go on adventures to the past so Sherman can “learn the lessons of history firsthand”.
Sherman asks Peabody if he can drive the WABAC
Adventure in Time…and School
Mr. Peabody and Sherman travel back to France, meet Marie Antoinette and are mistaken for aristocrats when the French revolution starts. Peabody executes a clever escape. Sherman’s high flying adventures crash to a halt when he has his first day at school where he tells his teacher that history got it wrong, because he was there! He makes an enemy of Penny Peterson (Ariel Winter), the formerly smartest kid in school, who makes fun of both Sherman and Mr. Peabody. What kind of idiot has a dog for a dad? Sherman retaliates.
In Trouble
When Sherman “attacks” Penny for insulting his dad, Mrs. Grunion (Allison Janney) of Child Welfare Services, threatens to take him away from Mr. Peabody. “A dog can’t raise a boy!”. Sherman says he bit Penny because she called him a dog. He realizes he’s hurt his dad’s feelings and remembers all the cool time adventures they’ve had including meeting Ben Franklin, the Wright Brothers, Van Gogh, Ghandi and William Shakespeare.
Can Sherman and Mr. Peabody rescue Penny?
Smoothing Things Over
Mr. Peabody invites Penny and her parents Paul and Patty Peterson (Stephen Colbert and Leslie Mann) to dinner to smooth things over. Peabody’s great cooking and bartending skills impress the parents but Penny is still angry until Sherman takes her on a trip in the WABAC machine despite Mr. Peabody’s warning! Penny gets stuck in ancient Egypt as the fiancé of boy King Tut and Peabody and Sherman have to rescue her.
Taking the WABAC machine to adventure!
Time Travel Terror
After adventures in Renaissance Italy with Da Vinci (The Hunger Games’ Stanley Tucci) and a stop at the Trojan War with King Agamemnon (Patrick Warburton), Sherman proves to his dad that he can actually be a hero and handle tough situations but, at one point, two Shermans exist in two different time periods and it is up to Sherman (one of them) and Peabody to stop the space/time continuum from imploding, repair the rip in time and get home with Penny in tow.
Mr. Peabody tells Sherman to forget being a Trojan War hero
Wrapping Up
Mr. Peabody and Sherman is a unique, delightful movie for all ages. There are jokes for kids, teens and adults throughout. Some of the dialogue is very witty. It looks great in 3D and I especially noticed the detailed historical animated backgrounds in the movie. The DreamWorks Animation artists really did their research well.
Sherman and Mr. Peabody make a fiery escape!
The movie offers a fun new look at historical characters that is a bit educational without being boring while throwing in a few funny classic movie references as well. The film gives a nod to the Back to the Future time travel movies of the 1980’s and has a great “heart” as dad and son learn to really trust and respect each other through the course of the story.
There might be a few “slow” moments but, overall, the pace is action-packed with cleverly choreographed escapes that will tickle your funny bone. Voice actors do an excellent job.
Exploring an Egyptian tomb
Ask your grandparents if they saw “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show” on TV when they were little kids. That is where Mr. Peabody, Sherman and the WABAC machine first appeared. You can check out clips of that show on the internet. We go 4 stars.
Mr. Peabody and Sherman Movie Rating: 
Mr. Peabody and Sherman Poster
Mr. Peabody and Sherman is in theaters now!
