Mr. Peabody & Sherman - A Modern Twist to an Old Classic

I have to admit. I was EXTREMELY excited for the release of this movie. Mr. Peabody & Sherman was based off the classic 60s cartoon Peabody's Improbable History. This was one of the cartoons I loved as a child. (No I'm not that old. I just really like old cartoons. That's what the Boomerang Channel is for lol). Compared to the original cartoon, Mr. Peabody and Sherman got a modern makeover, especially with Sherman's new hairstyle. Sherman is also more of a son to Mr. Peabody rather than a pet or assistant. However, Peabody does keep his witty puns that we all enjoy.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman, directed by Rob Minkoff, opens where Mr. Peabody (voiced by Ty Burrell) introduces himself, as he's done in some of his old episodes, listing his many accomplishments including inventing inventing autotune and planking, the reveal that Mr. Peabody now lives in the 21st century rather than the 1960s. He explains that throughout all his accomplishments, the one thing he was missing was the love from a boy, so he decided to adopt one, Sherman (voiced by Max Charles). Peabody teaches him all subjects, but using the WABAC (pronounced way-back). The WABAC is a time machine that allowing them to experience history first hand.

The story begins where it's the first day of school for Sherman, ever, and his first day is a bit rough. Through his experiences using the WABAC, he's learned a lot about history, more than the average kid should know, and Penny (voiced by Ariel Winter), an added main character compared to the original, takes notice. Penny has been the top student until Sherman, and feels threatened by him, so she tries to make his life a living hell. This leads to Sherman biting her and a visit to the principal's office and a visit from Ms. Grunion, a child and family services agent who threatens to take Sherman away from Peabody. In an attempt to clear the air, Mr. Peabody invites Penny's family over to clear up any issues, and for Penny and Sherman to settle their differences. In an attempt to show why he knows so much about history, he shows Penny the WABAC machine, and he loses her in ancient Egypt expecting to marry Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Mr. Peabody and Sherman go back to rescue her, and face many issues on the way back. Now they race to get back to present time before Ms. Grunion arrives for her evaluation. So Mr. Peabody fights to keep his son, making this a story about how important family is and how Mr. Peabody will do anything for Sherman.
   
Maybe it's because I was already a big fan of the cartoon that I had very high expectations for this movie, but this movie did not amaze or entertain me as I thought it would, but nonetheless, it was a good movie. It was very funny, and I loved the fatherly love theme throughout the movie. There were some adult jokes slipped in there that little kids would not understand, as seen when my brother and I laughed while the little kids that filled the theater didn't. There were also a lot of pooping jokes that I did not expect. However, I do not exactly agree with the addition of Penny. She didn't really seem like a character that was really needed to push the story along. But all in all, it was a good movie. If you're looking for a warms your soul family type movie, go watch it!