Mr. Peabody & Sherman – Review
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“Every dog should have a boy”.

So says the charming pooch, Mr. Peabody, in 2014’s second major studio animated feature offering. In my opinion, this film outshines The Lego Movie in humour, 3D animation quality but most of all personality, if not commercial appeal. The story follows a brilliant, well-travelled, articulate beagle as he strives to give his adoptive son a balanced upbringing; his primary technique – a time machine. As you can imagine, the possibilities are endless – learning about Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution, King Tut in ancient Egypt, DaVinci during The Renaissance and the Greek army as they prepared inside the famed Trojan Horse. All is well until Sherman, the adopted son, begins school and is taken away from the safe haven of his dad’s home and has to deal with a world that does not have a WABAC machine.

I was impressed how the film could hold both my attention and that of the young kids watching with me. This is a trick reserved for only the best animated features – typically, one of the two falters. I was further impressed by the ease at which several significant positive messages were layered over a funny and action packed tale. I noted clever lessons on bullying, consequences of not listening to a parent’s advice, thinking outside the box, having confidence and remaining calm, to name a few. The one that I enjoyed the most had to be that it’s ok to be a smart kid, to enjoy history and science. I patted myself on the back every time I was able to follow the various inside historical double entendres sprinkled throughout the movie.

As a parent, having a story that not only entertains your children but also teaches them is highly desirable. We all came out wiser, entertained and commenting endlessly about our favourite parts, the hallmark of all great shows. Go see it, I say!

By Mauricio Bonifaz