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Review #440 of 365
Spoiler Movie Review of Meet The Robinsons 3D (2007) [G] 102 minutes
WIP™ Scale: (1st viewing $13.00 + 2nd viewing in 3D $13.50)/2 =$13.25
Where Viewed: United Artists Colorado Mills Stadium 16 & Giant Screen, Lakewood, CO
When 2nd Seen: 2 April 2007
Time: 9:35 p.m.
Film's Official Website • Film's Trailer
DVD Release Date: 23 October 2007
Directed by: Stephen J. Anderson (Journey Beneath the Sea)
Screenplay by: Jon Bernstein (Beautiful) and Michelle Bochner ("Will & Grace") based on the book A Day with Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce
Featured Voice Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Angela Bassett (Akeelah and the Bee) • Daniel Hansen (Stuart Little 2) • Jordan Fry (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) • Matthew Josten (Chicken Little) • Laurie Metcalf (Beer League) • Harland Williams (Employee of the Month) • Paul Butcher (The Number 23) • Wesley Singerman (The Nutcracker and the Mouseking) • Stephen J. Anderson (The Emperor's New Groove) • Nicole Sullivan ("Kim Possible") • Tom Selleck (Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise)
Soundtrack for Meet the Robinsons: Download now from 
— or — order the CD below
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
Note: This is a spoiler review. If you would prefer not to read the spoiler review click here for the non-spoiler.
First, not only is this a spoiler review for Meet the Robinsons, it is a review of the Disney® Digital 3D version of the film. So, toward the 3D aspect first, it's simply unbelievable, astonishing, incredible! The film is wildly superior in 3D, and it's pretty good not in 3D. It's just that when you see the 3D version, the impact is far more compelling and certain segments of the film which seemed odd, come alive in the 3D. The opening segment where baby Louis is left on the steps of the 6th Street Orphanage during a rainstorm at night is so ultra realistic it draws you in and never lets go. The animators took real advantage of the technology as they are learning more and more what it can do. Things that were never possible in the past, now can be done with the help of the computers doing the complex rendering and double imaging required to achieve the very special effect that tricks the brain into seeing the 3D. For those who have not yet seen one of these new 3D CGI films, this is a brilliant way to get one's feet wet.
As for the spoiling of the plot of the film and a more detailed look at the plot that cannot be achieved in a non-spoiling review like my first review, I don't relish giving away the plot. Obviously, I hope that everyone will enjoy the magic of the great twists. Nonetheless, it is very hard to really explain how good a film is without spoiling the plot. Also, there are people that are unable to get to the cinema to see films and have no other way of finding out the plot save spoiler reviews (or reading the book, of course). So, here goes. (please read the first review for the plot synopsis)
Turns out that Lewis's friend from the Future, Wilbur, is really his son, and yes, he knows he's his son. He knows because the whole trip from the future is necessitated by the fact that Wilbur leaves the garage door open and the Bowler Hat Guy steals one of the time machines. Why does the Bowler Hat Guy steal a time machine? Well, Lewis grows up to become the most influential inventor of the century and living the life of any boy's dreams come true. He does invent one bad thing, however. He invents a Bowler Hat named Doris that he envisions becoming a great personal assistant for people. Unfortunately, Doris has a mind of her own and has to be decommissioned. She resents this, and she meets up with a long-time arch enemy of Lewis (now called Cornelius by his adopted parents—yes he does get adopted), one Michael "Goob" Yagoobian. That's right, the other twist is that Goob grows up bitter and resentful of his life ruined by Lewis, and decides to team up with Doris to destroy him by traveling to the past, stealing his brain scanner and passing it off as his own invention. Recalling my first review, I mentioned that until the twists are revealed, I was beginning to wonder about the point of this film. It was on a collision course for being one of the worst plots for an animated film, and then suddenly it's one of the great ones—not as good as Cars or Happy Feet or Monsters, Inc. but pretty close to Monsters, Inc. These two twists: that Wilbur's dad does not really look at all like Tom Selleck (who actually does do the voice, of course, for Cornelius) rather he looks like a grown up version of Lewis (with the same amazing stand-up poofy blondish hair), and the evil Bowler Hat Guy is really the grown up Goob, rapidly turned this plot around. In knowing what to look for, it was easy to notice some hints of these secrets as well as to notice how the writers got around giving it way too soon. When it comes to science fiction legend, apparently, the writers of Meet the Robinsons do not share the long held, temporal mechanics belief that you would not be able to touch yourself in two different times without cataclysmic results. Likewise, they allow Wilbur and Cornelius to both play a little loose and fancy free with the time line, also without disastrous results. Those two drawbacks should not stand in the way of most people having a lot of fun seeing and getting involved in this film which seems virtually designed to from the first clay renderings of the clever characters to espouse a love for inventive creativity that has defined its parent company from the day Walt Disney started it. He believed in moving forward, pushing the envelope of family entertainment making it better and better not more and more controversial. To that, we can hope those entrusted with the protection of his brand name, will always adhere ensuring that future generations of kids will always hold the same degree of love and fondness for the company and it's films as did the past.
As for the spoiling of the plot of the film and a more detailed look at the plot that cannot be achieved in a non-spoiling review like my first review, I don't relish giving away the plot. Obviously, I hope that everyone will enjoy the magic of the great twists. Nonetheless, it is very hard to really explain how good a film is without spoiling the plot. Also, there are people that are unable to get to the cinema to see films and have no other way of finding out the plot save spoiler reviews (or reading the book, of course). So, here goes. (please read the first review for the plot synopsis)
Turns out that Lewis's friend from the Future, Wilbur, is really his son, and yes, he knows he's his son. He knows because the whole trip from the future is necessitated by the fact that Wilbur leaves the garage door open and the Bowler Hat Guy steals one of the time machines. Why does the Bowler Hat Guy steal a time machine? Well, Lewis grows up to become the most influential inventor of the century and living the life of any boy's dreams come true. He does invent one bad thing, however. He invents a Bowler Hat named Doris that he envisions becoming a great personal assistant for people. Unfortunately, Doris has a mind of her own and has to be decommissioned. She resents this, and she meets up with a long-time arch enemy of Lewis (now called Cornelius by his adopted parents—yes he does get adopted), one Michael "Goob" Yagoobian. That's right, the other twist is that Goob grows up bitter and resentful of his life ruined by Lewis, and decides to team up with Doris to destroy him by traveling to the past, stealing his brain scanner and passing it off as his own invention. Recalling my first review, I mentioned that until the twists are revealed, I was beginning to wonder about the point of this film. It was on a collision course for being one of the worst plots for an animated film, and then suddenly it's one of the great ones—not as good as Cars or Happy Feet or Monsters, Inc. but pretty close to Monsters, Inc. These two twists: that Wilbur's dad does not really look at all like Tom Selleck (who actually does do the voice, of course, for Cornelius) rather he looks like a grown up version of Lewis (with the same amazing stand-up poofy blondish hair), and the evil Bowler Hat Guy is really the grown up Goob, rapidly turned this plot around. In knowing what to look for, it was easy to notice some hints of these secrets as well as to notice how the writers got around giving it way too soon. When it comes to science fiction legend, apparently, the writers of Meet the Robinsons do not share the long held, temporal mechanics belief that you would not be able to touch yourself in two different times without cataclysmic results. Likewise, they allow Wilbur and Cornelius to both play a little loose and fancy free with the time line, also without disastrous results. Those two drawbacks should not stand in the way of most people having a lot of fun seeing and getting involved in this film which seems virtually designed to from the first clay renderings of the clever characters to espouse a love for inventive creativity that has defined its parent company from the day Walt Disney started it. He believed in moving forward, pushing the envelope of family entertainment making it better and better not more and more controversial. To that, we can hope those entrusted with the protection of his brand name, will always adhere ensuring that future generations of kids will always hold the same degree of love and fondness for the company and it's films as did the past.
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Other Projects Featuring Meet The Robinsons (2007)
Voice Cast Members
Angela Bassett
• Daniel Hansen • Jordan FryMatthew Josten
• Laurie Metcalf • Don HallHarland Williams
• Paul Butcher • Tracey Miller-ZarnekeWesley Singerman
• Stephen J. Anderson • Nicole SullivanTom Selleck
Director
Stephen J. Anderson
Co-Screenwriters
Jon Bernstein
• Michelle Bochner| Book | CD Soundtrack | DVD |
| Related Book | PS2 | VHS |
Meet The Robinsons (2007) Review-lite [150-word cap]
Disney's animated film, Meet the Robinsons is a Stephen J. Anderson film based on the short book A Day with Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce. The film's story is about an orphaned boy genius inventor named Lewis (voiced by Daniel Hansen and Jorday Fry) whose dreams of getting adopted are clouded when a mysterious boy from the future named Wilbur arrives to protect him from the villainous Bowler Hat Man. A subsequent trip to the future and meeting with Wilbur's family gives Lewis the family he's always dreamed of, though the story seems borderline pointless and misguided, and the characters seem overdrawn, confusing, and hapless. That is until the secrets are finally revealed and the resulting in a spectacular CGI film achievement. Though the villain may be too frightening for younger children, the film overall carries some wonderful messages that should stick with children a very long time.
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