A throwback to Rocky and Bullwinkle, Mr. Peabody and his son, Sherman, are back and they’re sharing their adventures with a whole new generation. Together with several fellow bloggers, we had a chance to preview the movie and participate in a Q&A roundtable with Director Rob Minkoff, Ty Burrell (voice of Mr. Peabody) and Max Charles (voice of Sherman).
We had a fun time getting to know the stars of the movie, while taking turns asking them burning questions.
I’ll share more on that soon, but first, I wanted to share five things that Mr. Peabody and Sherman taught us.
1. Family is family
Mr. Peabody and Sherman is a fun story about a dog who adopts a boy and goes on to explore the world, with boy in tow. Mr. Peabody, a genius Renaissance man, er, dog, is good at most anything he does. Despite the fact that he was never adopted as a pup, he, himself went on to adopt a boy. His son, Sherman, grew up as the son of a dog, something that was rather unique and special, though he didn’t know it yet. When Sherman gets teased for having a dog as a parent, Mr. Peabody, who never considered the consequences of their unique family, consoles his son without hesitation—because that’s what parents do.
When Sherman makes a mistake and takes the WABAC without asking, Peabody comes to rescue. When kids are sad, confused and feeling overwhelmed, parents swoop in with their unconditional love and find a way to make things better. What’s so fun about this movie is that instead of focusing on Mr. Peabody being a dog, it underscores the love between a parent and their kid. Family is family, after all.But ultimately, Mr. Peabody and Sherman is a reminder that every dog needs a boy.
2. History is fun
I was an English major, so I read a lot of period pieces and books. The best thing about literature is that it schools you on history, too. I have always appreciated the arts and history in general, so I absolutely loved that Mr. Peabody and Sherman took the audience to memorable eras such as the Renaissance, the French Revolution, early American history and beyond. Even better? These historical references were fun and witty, but in the end made for an ongoing conversation with my six year old. The kids will appreciate the Mr. Peabody and Sherman’s adventures, but parents will love the bits of edutainment.
3. Traveling and seeing new places can bring families joy
The world is a big place, and there’s so much to see. In Mr. Peabody and Sherman, the dog and son duo travel through time in their WABAC time machine and learn a lot about the historical places and locations they visit. At the same time, they learn about their relationship with each other. Traveling as a family is so important and strengthens your bond in ways you never knew how.
4. It’s important to take risks
When Sherman’s nemesis-turned-friend, Penny, urges him to take the WABAC for a spin, the kids disobeyed and broke rules. There’s a fine line between breaking rules and taking risks, but when Sherman takes a risk, he learns something about himself. During the Renaissance era, Mr. Peabody, Sherman and Penny find themselves hanging out with Leonardo Da Vinci, the Renaissance Man himself. Penny and Sherman take Da Vinci’s Flying Machine for a spin, even though the inventor said it didn’t work. Sherman insisted to Penny that he didn’t know how to fly. Penny encouraged her friend and unbeknownst to him, Sherman could fly! His risk paid off and he did Da Vinci a favor in the process. Taking risks are character-builders, and something that kids and adults can learn from.
5. Variety is the spice of life
Mr. Peabody is a genius dog, and something he hopes to instill in his son. While perfection isn’t necessarily something to strive for, (in my opinion, anyway) I can wholeheartedly agree that kids need room to “run.” Whether it’s playing sports, reading voraciously, drawing, coding, life should be about discovering your passions. Everyone’s path is decidedly different, so it’s totally fine if your best friend embraces music and you find joy in soccer. Mr. Peabody discovered and invented a myriad of things; while his life was fulfilling, in the end, nothing made him happier than his family.
Mr. Peabody and Sherman hits theaters tomorrow, March 7. The humor appeals to kids and adults, and the story is engaging and relevant.
If you appreciate smart humor as much as we do, then you’ll love this!
I was a guest of Dreamworks Animation and participated in a Q&A. As always, all opinions are my own.