Review: Meet The Robinsons (2007)

Meet The Robinsons
2007
100 minutes
Rated G

By Scott Mendelson

About halfway into Disney's Meet The Robinsons, I noticed my face
was starting to hurt a little. I moved my jaw a little bit and
nothing was specifically sore. After rubbing my cheeks for a second,
I let it go and my face returned to that pained status almost
instantly. I then realized that my face was in mild pain because I
had been unconsciously grinning for at least the previous twenty
minutes.
Without a doubt, Meet The Robinsons is the best all-around
cartoon since The Incredibles. It's actually funnier than The
Emperor's New Groove and almost as moving as Toy Story 2. It's a
broad declaration of war from Disney to all the other competing
studios that have dipped their toes into the animation waters in the
last few years. This is Disney at its prime.
Meet The Robinsons is everything a great cartoon should be, while
ignoring many of the worst trends of late. There are no pop-culture
references. The entire cast is filled not with sleepwalking
celebrities and flavors of the month, but with veteran voice over
professionals (Angela Bassett and Adam West are the biggest names in
the cast, with the exception of one surprise guest who appears
briefly). The action is only occasionally frantic, and everything
that happens is driven by character or established story. The
animation and visuals are eye-popping, as this rich, colorful film
uses its 3D gimmick to better effect than any 3D film since The Polar
Express.
A little plot: Abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage as an
infant, Lewis (voiced with splendid honesty by both Daniel Hanson and
Jordan Fry) spends his days attempting various crackpot inventions.
These inventions may one day lead to scientific glory, but now only
prevent him from being adopted by freaked-out potential parents.
Meanwhile, as he prepares to enter his latest device into the science
fair, a kid from the future named Wilbur (Wesley Singerman, reigning
it in when possible with a slightly more frantic character) arrives to
warn Lewis to avoid the treacherous 'Bowler Hat Guy' (director Stephen
J Anderson pulled a Dick Cheney and cast himself as the villain,
though he is far more competent at his self-appointed job). Can
Wilbur be trusted any more than Bowler Hat Guy? Can Lewis use time
travel to journey back in time to find out why his mother gave him
up? Is Danny Elfman doing the score, because that sure sounds like
Danny Elfman music? The answer to at least one of these questions is:
of course!
What follows is a delightful romp into the future, as low-key
gags and deadpan humor mix with emotional pathos and larger than life
spectacle. Despite being worked on by seven credited writers, the
screenplay has a singular vision and is incredibly dense and sharp
(credit probably goes to Anderson's experiences as an adoptee, which
likely guided the storyline). The time travel plot is refreshingly
complicated, with several twists along the way. Even if young kids
can't quite follow the story well enough to explain it, they'll still
enjoy the ride.
From the singing Dean Martin-ish frogs of the future (featured
heavily in the promotions, but used sparingly in the film), to Lewis'
orphanage roommate ('Goup', voiced by Michael Josten with deadpan
brilliance), to Bowler Hat Guy (he is a figure of fun, but he fails
not out of stupidity but because he doesn't enjoy evildoing as much as
he thinks he does), every major character feels like a fully-developed
human being (or frog). So well-formed are these characters that when
Bowler Hat Guy accidentally runs into Goup, I found myself prematurely
laughing in anticipation of the character-driven banter that I
correctly predicted would occur (Bowler Hat's advice to Goup deserves
to be on Hallmark cards everywhere).
I haven't scratched the surface of the pleasures this film has to
offer. The characters are genuinely special (I want a Bowler Hat Guy
action figure!), the writing and acting is razor sharp, and the
emotional pay-offs are completely earned (the moral is also something
actually worth preaching, and the origin of a key line of dialogue
provides a perfect cap). This is terrific, splendid entertainment.
The highest compliment I can pay is this: As most of my friends and
family know, I'm expecting my first child in September. Meet The
Robinsons is the first new film I've seen that I can't wait to show
that child when she is old enough to appreciate great cinema.

Grade: A+