MEET THE ROBINSONS FILM REVIEW
BY
ED. DICKAU
DISNEY.com (Superb Site Presentation)
Click Here For Ed’s Still Photo Panel Presentations
Rotten Tomatoes.com (Our Top Source For Preliminary Reviews)
BY
ED. DICKAU
DISNEY.com (Superb Site Presentation)
Click Here For Ed’s Still Photo Panel Presentations
Rotten Tomatoes.com (Our Top Source For Preliminary Reviews)
Meet the Robinsons (2007)Genre: Animation Duration: 1 hr. 42 min. Starring: Angela Bassett, Tom Selleck, Adam West, Ethan Sandler, Laurie Metcalf, Director: Steve Anderson Producer: Dorothy McKim Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures Release Date: March 30, 2007 Writer: Michelle Bochner based on the book by William Joyce
Meet the Robinsons is a computer-animated film and the 46th animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures.
In the United Kingdom, the 3D version was released on March 23. It was released in standard and Disney Digital 3-D versions in the United States and in its standard version in the UK on March 30, 2007.
It is based on the characters and events in the illustrated book A Day with Wilbur Robinson, by William Joyce. The film originally had the same title as the book. The voice cast includes Jordan Fry, Harland Williams, Tom Kenny, Steve Anderson, Adam West, and Angela Bassett. The film is rated G by the MPAA.
THE REVIEW: PART: 1
The movie contains some important educational messages, such as not being afraid of failures since you can learn a lot from them, "always keep moving forward", and solving problems in an enlightened way instead of through revenge.
At times, all of us feel like strangers in the world. In Disney's bright, colorful, CGI animated film (available in 3D in some locations), Lewis (voice of Daniel Hansen) is left on the steps of an orphanage as a baby and rejected by over 100 prospective parents. He constantly invents machines that will help solve problems. But his love for inventing just seems to make him feel more separate from the world, more isolated, more weird.
THE REVIEW: PART: 1
The movie contains some important educational messages, such as not being afraid of failures since you can learn a lot from them, "always keep moving forward", and solving problems in an enlightened way instead of through revenge.
At times, all of us feel like strangers in the world. In Disney's bright, colorful, CGI animated film (available in 3D in some locations), Lewis (voice of Daniel Hansen) is left on the steps of an orphanage as a baby and rejected by over 100 prospective parents. He constantly invents machines that will help solve problems. But his love for inventing just seems to make him feel more separate from the world, more isolated, more weird.
It seems he will ever find a family or a place where he feels at home.
Mildred (voice of Angela Bassett), who runs the orphanage, is sympathetic and fond of Lewis, but that is not the same. He has a roommate, Michael "Goob" Yagoobian (voice of Matthew Josten), who is just as lonely as he is.
Mildred (voice of Angela Bassett), who runs the orphanage, is sympathetic and fond of Lewis, but that is not the same. He has a roommate, Michael "Goob" Yagoobian (voice of Matthew Josten), who is just as lonely as he is.
Lewis is better at understanding the problems of machines than he is at understanding what makes people work -- or not work. His head is so full of plans that he does not always see what is going on in front of him.
When he takes his latest invention to the school science fair, he does not notice that two very unusual people have taken an interest in it. One is "Bowler Hat guy," an even apter name than first apparent.
When he takes his latest invention to the school science fair, he does not notice that two very unusual people have taken an interest in it. One is "Bowler Hat guy," an even apter name than first apparent.
The other is a boy named Wilbur Robinson who says he is from the future and he needs Lewis to accompany him there right away.
Set in 2037 and 2007, Meet the Robinsons tells the story of Lewis (Jordan Fry) - a brilliant and creative twelve-year-old orphan with a surprising number of clever inventions to his credit. However, most of Lewis' inventions don't work yet, and they get in the way of his adoption efforts because of narrow minded would-be adopters who prefer someone less creative.
Set in 2037 and 2007, Meet the Robinsons tells the story of Lewis (Jordan Fry) - a brilliant and creative twelve-year-old orphan with a surprising number of clever inventions to his credit. However, most of Lewis' inventions don't work yet, and they get in the way of his adoption efforts because of narrow minded would-be adopters who prefer someone less creative.
His latest and most ambitious project is the Memory Scanner, which lets people see their memories. The machine is supposed to help him find his birth mother so they can become a family. However, during the Science Fair where he tries to demonstrate it, the dastardly Bowler Hat Guy (Steve Anderson), a villain from the future, and his atrocious hat, DOR-15 (pronounced "Doris"), sabotage his invention.
The machine causes mayhem and Lewis runs to the orphanage roof top in frustration. While he is gone, the Bowler Hat Guy steals the invention. Lewis has all but given up hope when a mysterious stranger named Wilbur Robinson (Wesley Singerman) whisks our bewildered hero away in a time machine and together they fly into the future. Unfortunately, Lewis gets the idea to fly through time to meet his mother, and tries to drive the time machine. Wilbur objects and they fight.
The machine crashes and breaks on the grass of the Robinsons mansion, and Wilbur convinces Lewis that he must now repair it at the Robinsons Mansion, where Lewis also meets Wilbur's eccentric family and their music band of genetically enhanced singing frogs. Lewis gets attached to the family, and they even offer to adopt them. But when it is revealed that Lewis is from the past, the family says it's impossible for them to adopt him. Lewis runs away in frustration and joins the Bowler Hat Guy.
The Bowler Hat Guy reveals that Lewis is really Wilbur's dad, a famous inventor. The Bowler Hat Guy also reveals that he is actually Goob, Lewis's roommate from the orphanage. He tells Lewis of his terrible childhood after losing a crucial baseball game by falling asleep and blames it on Lewis, who worked every night on the Memory Scanner and made it hard for Goob to get sleep.
The machine causes mayhem and Lewis runs to the orphanage roof top in frustration. While he is gone, the Bowler Hat Guy steals the invention. Lewis has all but given up hope when a mysterious stranger named Wilbur Robinson (Wesley Singerman) whisks our bewildered hero away in a time machine and together they fly into the future. Unfortunately, Lewis gets the idea to fly through time to meet his mother, and tries to drive the time machine. Wilbur objects and they fight.
The machine crashes and breaks on the grass of the Robinsons mansion, and Wilbur convinces Lewis that he must now repair it at the Robinsons Mansion, where Lewis also meets Wilbur's eccentric family and their music band of genetically enhanced singing frogs. Lewis gets attached to the family, and they even offer to adopt them. But when it is revealed that Lewis is from the past, the family says it's impossible for them to adopt him. Lewis runs away in frustration and joins the Bowler Hat Guy.
The Bowler Hat Guy reveals that Lewis is really Wilbur's dad, a famous inventor. The Bowler Hat Guy also reveals that he is actually Goob, Lewis's roommate from the orphanage. He tells Lewis of his terrible childhood after losing a crucial baseball game by falling asleep and blames it on Lewis, who worked every night on the Memory Scanner and made it hard for Goob to get sleep.
He also reveals to Lewis that Lewis himself at some time invented Doris (the hat) and then disabled it and locked it up in storage, but didn't know that the hat was still operational and escaped. The Bowler Hat Guy then locks Lewis up and then takes the Memory Scanner back to the past, where he tries to patent it and trick InventCo Inc. to mass produce hats like Doris. But the hats run out of control and the entire future (where Lewis is still locked up) changes to a dark world where the hats rule the world by mind-controlling everyone who wears them, making everyone behave like zombies.
Lewis succeeds to escape and repair the time machine just at the last moment before the hats destroy it, and goes back in time to stop the Bowler Hat Guy at Invent Co. He also decides there to never invent Doris, and the hat immediately dissipates into non-existence.
Lewis succeeds to escape and repair the time machine just at the last moment before the hats destroy it, and goes back in time to stop the Bowler Hat Guy at Invent Co. He also decides there to never invent Doris, and the hat immediately dissipates into non-existence.
Lewis then takes the Bowler Hat Guy with him back to the future and shows him what Doris had caused, just as the ripple effect from the past is in the process of restoring everything back to normal. The Bowler Hat Guy realizes that Doris was not really his friend, and seeks forgiveness.
The Robinsons offer to take the Bowler Hat Guy in, but he can't bring himself to be taken in and runs off. Lewis then meets his future self, and sees his amazing inventions. Lewis understands that he has to go back to the past because none of this will exist if he does not go back in time and create it, but before he goes, his wife tells him to remember that she is always right.
The Robinsons offer to take the Bowler Hat Guy in, but he can't bring himself to be taken in and runs off. Lewis then meets his future self, and sees his amazing inventions. Lewis understands that he has to go back to the past because none of this will exist if he does not go back in time and create it, but before he goes, his wife tells him to remember that she is always right.
Before taking Lewis back to where he belongs, Wilbur goes further back in time and lets Lewis see his real mother, keeping his earlier promise.
After Lewis goes back to his time, he wakes Goob up at the baseball field and Goob wins the baseball game, thus granting his roommate a far happier future.
After Lewis goes back to his time, he wakes Goob up at the baseball field and Goob wins the baseball game, thus granting his roommate a far happier future.
He then goes back to the Science Fair and tries out his invention again. This time the memory scanner works, and he is adopted by the Science Fair judge and her husband, who he realizes are the grandparents in the future Robinsons family.
Just as he finishes the demonstration, the cute girl who has a display involving frogs tells him that she is always right, and he realizes that this is his future wife, Mrs. Robinson. In the end, Lewis knows that he will have a happy future, and gains confidence to keep moving forward in life.
The film is a joy in all regards and has qualities that will keep it on the minds of Academy Award nominators. It is best animated work so far this season in my opinion, and I enjoy animated. They are art form of their own.
Just as he finishes the demonstration, the cute girl who has a display involving frogs tells him that she is always right, and he realizes that this is his future wife, Mrs. Robinson. In the end, Lewis knows that he will have a happy future, and gains confidence to keep moving forward in life.
The film is a joy in all regards and has qualities that will keep it on the minds of Academy Award nominators. It is best animated work so far this season in my opinion, and I enjoy animated. They are art form of their own.
Official Site
Trailer (Window Media High)
Trailer (Quicktime High)
Policy Trailer (Windows Media High)
3D Futurette (Windows Media)
3D TV Spot (QuickTime)
'Kids of the Future' Jonas Brother Music Video (Windows Media)
'FUTURE' Futurette (Windows Media)
Rob Thomas 'Little Wonders' Music Video (Windows Media
meet the robinsons in disney digital 3d
meet the robinsons a quick family whos who
a fantastic futuristic family robinsons about the origins
disney digital 3d fun facts
about the production
animating the robinsons
a future like no other
long synopsis
about the voice talent
the cast meets the robinsons
the robinsons music
the experiment
about the filmmakers
fun facts and figures
about the film
1 Plot summary
2 Reception
3 Disney Digital 3-D
4 Credits
4.1 Voice cast
4.2 Crew
5 Other media
6 Trivia
7 References
8 See also
9 External links
Credits
Adam West - Uncle Art
Angela Bassett - Mildred
Aurian Redson - Frankie the Frog
Don Hall - Uncle Gaston
Ethan Sandler - DOR-15, Uncle Fritz, Aunt Petunia, Uncle Dimitri, Uncle Spike, Cousin Laszlo
Harland Williams - Carl
Jessie Flower - Young Franny
Jordan Fry & Daniel Hansen - Lewis
Joseph Mateo - Tiny
Kelly Hoover - Aunt Billie
Laurie Metcalf - Lucille Krunklehorn
Matthew Joston - Michael "Goob" Yagoobian
Nicole Sullivan - Franny Robinson
Steve Anderson - Bowler Hat Guy, Grandpa Bud, Cousin Tallulah
Tom Kenny - Mr. Willerstein
Tom Selleck - Cornelius Robinson
Wesley Singerman - Wilbur Robinson
Music by Danny Elfman
Executive producers John Lasseter and Clark Spencer
Based on the book A Day with Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce
Adaptation by Jon Bernstein
Written by Michelle Bochner and Jon Bernstein
Produced by Dorothy Mckim
Directed by Steve Anderson
CG Stereoscopic Supervision by Phil McNally
OTHER MEDIA
The soundtrack album was released by Walt Disney Records on March 27, 2007. Contributors to the album beyond the Danny Elfman score include Rufus Wainwright, Rob Thomas, Jamie Cullum, The All-American Rejects, They Might Be Giants, and The Jonas Brothers.
Disney's Meet the Robinsons is available from Buena Vista Games for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS and PC.
Trivia
Wilbur tells Lewis that his father looks like Tom Selleck, who happens to be the voice-actor.
In the German version, Wilbur says his father looks like Thomas Gottschalk, who happens to be the voice-actor in this version.
In the Latin American version Wilbur says his father looks like José Luis Rodríguez "El Puma".
The 3-D version is preceded by the 1953 Donald Duck/Chip 'n Dale short Working for Peanuts, which was originally made in 3-D.
The normal version of the film is preceded by the 1938 Mickey Mouse/Donald Duck/Goofy cartoon Boat Builders.
At several times the camera focuses on DOR-15's red "eye". This is a reference to the camera eye of HAL 9000 from the Space Odyssey series.
The Robinson home is located on a landscape similar to the Windows XP default wallpaper, Bliss
The Little League team Goob plays on, the Dinos, is a reference to another of Joyce's books, Dinosaur Bob.
Lewis's school is called Joyce Williams Elementary, an obvious reference to the original book's author, William Joyce
At the end of the film, Lewis and his adoptive parents move into Anderson Observatory, a reference to the film's director, Steve Anderson.
THE REVIEW PART:2: Direction
I remarked earlier that enjoy animated films. There was a point in my life when I seriously considered becoming a cartoonist and worked at it diligently. My interest here and in the editorial cartoonists is in evidence within the various blog rooms. Walt Disney Animation did this one right.
Ever since they first distributed Pixar’s movies, Disney flicks they’ve made themselves have paled in comparison. But now with Pixar’s John Lasseter running the Mouse House operations, things have finally clicked with those the Disney folk. Meet the Robinsons mixes a heartfelt story, á la Pixar’s efforts, with extremely innovative 3-D animation. I am old enough to remember the days when they used to hand you those flimsy cardboard blue/red glasses and the screen would flash, “Put Your Glasses On!” just as something poked out at you.
Looking back on those days; most of the times, the effect wouldn’t even work very well. Not anymore. Robinsons first-time director Steve Anderson, along with Head of Story, Don Hall (who also provides some voices), were given free reign on this rather unprecedented process and make Meet the Robinsons’ whole newfangled digital 3-D technology truly an interactive experience.
If your are an aficionado of these sorts of things, hit the web and research this further as more is being written and posted daily.
Of course, once they get going with this stuff, it’s hard to stop, so some of Robinsons is almost TOO busy for some critics, but I like it all and the more the better unless it becomes merely a technical show off flick. To be sure there is some very good showing off, but it is not over done; it is not a distraction or detractor. It is fun and those critics who have to take pots shots just because they have the title…”critic” should be ignored on this one. Fun should be had by all.
Parents should know that the movie's themes include parental abandonment and rejection by potential adoptive parents, which may be disturbing for some children. There is some cartoon violence and peril, including a scary dinosaur. No one is badly hurt, though a child has a black eye and refers to having been beat up. There is some schoolyard language and a reference to being over-caffeinated.
Families who see this movie should talk about what it means to keep moving forward and to let go of the hurts of the past. Why did Lewis change his mind about what he thought he wanted? They may also want to talk about the many different ways people create families -- and about some of the more unusual hobbies of their family members.
Families who enjoy this film will also enjoy the book, A Day with Wilbur Robinson , by William Joyce. They will also enjoy the dazzlingly inventive graphics in another animated film about an inventor based on Joyce's work, Robots . The bowler hat guy is a little reminiscient of villain played by Terry-Thomas in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or Jack Lemmon in the delightful Great Race .
Critics Reviews—
Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionPhil Kloer "Come for the 3-D, stay for the story." more...
Boston GlobeTy Burr "...luscious to look at and as fizzy as a can of soda popped open in your face." more...
Chicago Sun-TimesBill Zwecker "...old-fashioned fun." more...
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington "...left me impressed." more...
E! OnlineAlex Markerson "...just a few pixels shy of Pixar quality." more...
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum "...this thing is one bumpy ride." more...
filmcritic.comChristopher Null "...a great film that I unilaterally recommend." more...
New York PostLou Lumenick "...I wish it lasted far longer..." more...
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli "...a fast paced, high energy offering..." more...
Seattle Post-IntelligencerGianni Truzzi "...takes William Joyce's delightful tale into a new dimension." more...
USA TodayClaudia Puig "...a visual treat with an engaging story that has an uplifting, but not maudlin, message." more...
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