Movie Review: Meet the Robinsons

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: The villain is hilarious

Cons: Plot could have used a little more work

The Bottom Line:

Weakness in story

But the fun overcomes it

Laugh the whole way through

Keep Moving Forward

As my friends and family well know, I am a Disney fanatic. I have all the official animated classics on video and DVD. So naturally, I was among those upset when Disney announced a few years back that they were suspending their hand drawn animated films in favor of all computer animation all the time. I think Meet the Robinsons is meant exactly for people like me.

Lewis is an orphan. He was left on the steps of an orphanage almost 13 years ago by his mother. His deepest wish is to be part of a family. He has had lots of adoption interviews, but he always seems to scare off his perspective parents with his latest invention.

See, he's a genius. He's got these great ideas; they just don't quite work right, usually resulting in a mess. But this time, he's got just the thing. He's invented a memory retriever. He just knows it will win the science fair.

But there's a strange boy at the science fair. He claims his name is Wilbur and he's from the future. Wilbur is there to stop Bowler Hat Guy, also from the future. But he won't tell Lewis what BHG is planning.

When Lewis' invention malfunctions, he's crushed. But Wilbur shows up again, telling him to keep working on it. And to prove he's from the future, Wilbur takes Lewis there, only to have them crash land the time machine.

Meanwhile, BHG is trying to sell Lewis' invention as his own. Will he succeed? Does the machine work? Will Lewis get home? Does he want to?

If you've seen the previews, you'll know to expect an over the top movie. If that's what you want, you won't be disappointed. When we meet Wilbur's family, they are extremely strange. But they are lovable at the same time. And the more time we spend with them, the funnier they become, too. They're silly yet fun; I wish the movie had done more with them.

But the funniest character of all is BHG. He appears to have learned how to be a villain from the melodrama school of villainy. He comes complete with the black cape, mustache, and menacing laugh. I honestly felt like I needed to boo him when he appeared. Yet he is completely stupid, too. I honestly was rooting for him to show up because his are by far the funniest scenes in the movie. I haven't laughed that hard at a character in a long time.

While the movie was extremely funny, the plot was a little weak. Yes, I saw the major plot point coming early, but that doesn't tend to bother me. The problem is the plot is a little too simple. They pack the movie with lots of jokes, but the time would have been better served giving the plot another twist or adding to the climax, which was weak.

Saving the movie is the character of Lewis. I truly felt for him very early on and spent the rest of the film rooting for him. About the only other people we really get to know are Wilbur and BHG since they are the only others with any decent amount of screen time. They work as characters, but didn't elicit the same response in me that Lewis did.

You'll notice that so far I haven't given any voice actors names. That's because, with a couple exceptions, they are unknowns. But they all do outstanding jobs. This harkens back to the Disney of old that used a voice because it was right and not because it was already a name. But there are a few famous voices in minor roles, including a very appropriate one that shows up near the end.

The animation is fine. If you regularly watch current animated films, you'll know what to expect. I wasn't disappointed although I wasn't blown away, either. It gets the job done, but doesn't break any new ground.

The movie is being shown in select theaters in 3-D. I wasn't able to see it that way but I would like to if I get a chance.

So what about my opening paragraph? That goes back to the theme. Over the course of the movie, Lewis learns that you have to keep looking forward. You can't live in the regrets of the past or look at your failures. And you can't stop because of one success. You must keep pressing on. After the movie ends, they throw a quote from Walt Disney up talking about that very thing. I think they were making a point to fans like me. And, while I hope they don't forget their past, I get their point. So I guess I must let them keep moving forward.

Before the movie begins, they show an old Mickey Mouse cartoon. I've never seen one on the big screen, and I enjoyed the experience. But I also wonder if it wasn't yet another message for people like me. "Yes, we are moving forward. But we won't forget our past."

The movie is silly and will easily appeal to kids. Yet it isn't so stupid that it will turn off parents. And the underlying theme is good (even if I am reading too much into it.) Meet the Robinsons won't go down as a classic, but it is a highly entertaining hour and a half.