Meet the Robinsons
by Stephen J. Anderson
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Daniel Hansen, Jordan Fry, Matthew Josten, Stephen J. AndersonDirector: Stephen J. Anderson
Brand: Walt Disney Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: Animated, Digital Sound, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 95 minutes
Published: 2007-10-01
DVD Release Date: 2007-10-23
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Product features:
- 10" Lewis Plush Doll
Movie Reviews of Meet the Robinsons
Movie Review: Don't miss this funny, amusing, great looking, warmhearted movie!
Summary: 5 Stars
Meet the Robinsons was released in March of 2007, a year that, unfortunately, also included the release of two hit animated movies: Ratatouille and the third installment of the Shrek series. I say unfortunately, because the hype created by those two movies certainly buried Meet the Robinsons, as it went rather unnoticed, flying under the radar of mass audiences perhaps just appealing to families with young children.
I enjoyed Ratatouille and hated Shrek the Third, but Meet the Robinsons, produced by Disney Animation Studios, might be the best animated feature, without Pixar's involvement, coming from Disney or any other production company in recent years. Based on the book "A Day with Wilbur Robinson" by William Joyce, this is a funny, amusing, great looking, warmhearted movie. This is a movie that should not be missed.
With brisk, simple but wonderful computer animation, co-screenwriter and director Stephen J. Anderson takes us to the future and back while following the life of Lewis (voice by Daniel Hansen and Jordan Fry).
The movie begins as baby Lewis is left by his mother on the doorstep of the 6th avenue orphanage. There, under the care and love of Mildred (voice by Angela Basset), Lewis grows up to be a whiz kid but with the obvious wounds that accompany most orphan children.
Lewis is already 12 years old and is still looking for the right family to adopt him; and soon he'll be 13. "You know how difficult it is for a teenager to get adopted" says a frustrated and discouraged Lewis after 124 unsuccessful adoption interviews. "Nobody wants me, not even my real mother wanted me" he continues. But Mildred is there to note that he's not even sure that was the case. Perhaps she couldn't take care of him and decided it was best for Lewis to be given away. Lewis realizes that the only chance he's got to understand what happened is to find his mother. "Nobody knows who she is" says Mildred. But Lewis doesn't agree. He knew his mother, even if it was for the briefest of times. So he embarks on the design and construction of a "memory scanner". He wants to dig into his own brain and find that lost memory that will explain everything.
He pours his heart into the project and works on it 24/7, depriving of sleep his peculiar and hopeless roommate Goob (voice by Matthew Josten) and exciting his science teacher, Mr. Willerstein, who encourages him to present his invention at the local science fair.
Lewis is a genius so it looks like his scanner will work. Nevertheless, just before he gives his demonstration, his machine gets sabotaged by an evil man wearing a bowler hat. Lewis is dejected, but a surprise visit from a handsome, witty, fast-talking boy changes everything. This boy is Wilbur Robinson, who eventually admits, comes from the future to warn him about a "bowler hat guy" and then begs him to fix the broken memory scanner because it is crucial. Wilbur steals the movie as the cocky boy that seems in charge although the situation evidently overwhelms him.
Lewis is, of course, skeptical and unnerved, but soon, to prove he's for real, young Wilbur pushes him into the flying time machine and together they head off to the future.
The young kid is astounded by the sights of the future: breathtaking buildings in odd shapes, people traveling inside soap bubbles, moving sidewalks, clear blue skies and perfectly manicured green bushes and gardens; but also by the possibility of using this time machine to travel back in time and find his mother. But Wilbur has his reasons and won't let that happen; they argue and end up crashing the time machine. This gives Lewis a chance to meet Wilbur's family as they take the wrecked machine to the Robinsons' home.
Each family is odd in its own way, but none is as eccentric as young Wilbur Robinson's. A family that includes: grandma Lucille; grandpa Bud, who likes to wear his clothes backwards while looking for his teeth; uncle Joe, who looks like an extremely overweight, oversized baby; uncle Art, a pizza delivery man who looks like a superhero and is appropriately voiced by Adam West; uncles Gaston and Fritz; aunt Billie and aunt Petunia, who is an obnoxious hand puppet; cousins Lazlo and Tallulah; twin doormen Spike and Dimitri; Lefty, the giant, purple octopus butler; Buster, the glass-wearing dog; and of course Wilbur's parents: Franny, his lovable but tough mother, who has her own group of trained, slick-dressed singing frogs lead by Frankie; and Cornelius, his father, who "looks like" (and speaks like) Tom Selleck. The sequence where Lewis meets the family, including Carl, Wilbur's robot friend and confidant, is just hilarious.
The Bowler Hat Guy's real motives are uncovered as he follows the two kids into the future and then tries to kidnap Lewis. But Wilbur and his family are there for him, and they battle the guy and his evil bowler hat antics.
Then, it's inevitable. Young orphan Lewis is fascinated and falls in love with this weird but enchanting family. Naturally, this is reciprocal, as Wilbur's family, led by Franny, also falls for the bright, lonely kid.
I can't continue without giving much of it away but, in any case, the conclusion is certainly predictable. However, the way Meet the Robinsons brings the message of letting go of the past and "keep moving forward" is just dead on. Young Lewis learns and then shows us that, after all, what we've done before doesn't matter because we can't change the past. Or can we? I love movies that involve time traveling. I've always been amazed and perplexed by the implications of these ventures. There are the paradoxes and contradictions, but there are also the possibilities. Who wouldn't just do anything to have even one opportunity to travel to the future? See what it is going to be like and who we are going to be. Or maybe, travel back in time and have the chance to fix what's been bothering us ever since.
This movie has quickly become one of my all-time favorites. It's candid and straightforward. It's a work of art that has all the right ingredients, including great music by Danny Elfman, whose "The Future Has Arrived" song, neatly wraps up this wonderful film.
When I was young, I used to say that Walt Disney was my hero. I had read a few quotes form Mr. Disney and those words fixated on my mind. It is great to see that to this time, more than 40 years after his death, he still inspires people (look out for a tribute to Walt Disney when Lewis and Wilbur tour the future), and that at the company that he created there are still individuals preoccupied with conserving his spirit. Meet the Robinsons is a beautiful example of these efforts.
Forget about Shrek the Third, rent Meet the Robinsons, bring out the popcorn and, if that's the case, sit alongside your kids and enjoy this great ride.
Summary of Meet the Robinsons
Features include:
?MPAA Rating: G
?Format: DVD
?Runtime: 95 minutes
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