Seeing as I never liked the original animated shorts the movie is based on, I was very skeptical toward “Mr. Peabody and Sherman.” There hasn’t been much interesting entertainment mined from the Rocky and Bullwinkle short series. Surprising enough, “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” doesn’t just adapt the shorts, but expands on them, injecting heart, characterization, and isn’t reliant on pop culture nods and winks to keep the audience entertained. It’s that refreshing element that makes this adaptation such a stellar piece of animation.
In this larger scale version, Mr. Peabody is the adopted father of Sherman, a wide eyed and rambunctious little boy who adores every invention Mr. Peabody serves up. In particular, he quite enjoys Peabody’s WABAC (pronounced “Wayback”) machine, which can travel through time, except during the period where its drivers existed. The WABAC ensures the pair can travel anywhere and meet literally any historical figure they please, but things at home aren’t quite as peaceful as Mr. Peabody hopes. During school, Sherman is picked on by the popular girl in class, Penny, who bickers with Sherman about George Washington, and steals a prized whistle Sherman loves. Out of anger, Sherman bites Penny prompting the school to consider that perhaps Mr. Peabody is ill fitted to be the parent to Sherman.
There’s also the very militant Miss Grunion who is anxious to take Sherman away from Peabody. Intent on mending fences, Peabody invites Penny and her parents over for dinner, and Sherman attempts to break the ice with Penny by taking her on a ride with the WABAC machine. While riding through time, they get lost, and have to find their way back home with the help of Peabody. Most of “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” is not just a science fiction adventure, but one that cleverly sneaks in history lessons with every scenario that Sherman and Peabody eventually end up in. For example, their long meeting with Leonardo DaVinci incites many scenarios involving his famous Mona Lisa painting, his love for inventions, and his masterful plane device that allows Sherman and Penny to get in to more trouble than they bargained for.
There’s even a romp with the Trojan gladiators and their infamous horse, as well as a great visit to Egypt which puts Penny (Ariel Winter as great as ever) in jeopardy when she decides to marry King Tut. The voice work paired with the animation make director Rob Minkoff’s world very vivid and utterly quirky. Much of the comedy is hysterical without ever opting for violence or cheap dated pop culture references. Ty Burrell is excellent as Mr. Peabody, while Max Charles has fun with Sherman. Both characters are portrayed with oodles of heart and complexity, as the writers place a lot of emphases on their father and son bond and what they mean to one another. “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” is a flawless remake that maintains the eccentric tone and wit of the original animated shorts.