Customer Rating:  
Summary: not a classic but reasonably entertaining
Comment: "Meet the Robinsons" is an animated children's movie that may be just a bit too complicated for its intended audience to follow completely. That's not really much of a surprise given that the scenario centers around a young orphan boy with a knack for inventions who spends most of the movie traveling back and forth in time between the future and the present in a tale so convoluted that even adults may have trouble fully comprehending it at times.
For much of the duration, "Meet the Robinsons" feels frenetic and undisciplined, seemingly willing to throw just about everything but the kitchen sink into the mix in the hope that somehow it will all come together in the end. This explains why the movie features a family of eccentric nitwits (the Robinsons), a rampaging tyrannosaurus rex brought back from the past, and a villain with a Snidely Whiplash moustache whose sidekick is a mechanical bowler hat that makes R2D2-type noises.
Yet, towards the end, the movie does, in fact, manage to bring most of these disparate elements together and to arrive finally at a satisfying conclusion. The backgrounds and animation are not quite up to the standards set by, say, "Ratatouille" or "Wall-E," but the brightness of the colors, the quickness of the pacing and the enthusiasm of the vocal performances should keep the little ones intrigued for the duration - even if they don`t always get what`s going on in the story.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Please!, don't miss this funny, amusing, great looking, warmhearted movie!
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very Satisfied Customer
Comment: The DVD purchased arrived in condition exactly as described. We are very pleased at how promt and easy this transaction was. i would definately use this retailer again and give them my trust. We saved a ton on this children's video. It was an all around win!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Lousy Moral, Undeveloped Characters, Waste of Time!
Comment: What a truly atrocious film on so many levels. I could barely force myself to sit through the entire thing and only because I put it on for my boys (5 & 3) and the friends they invited over for popcorn & movie night.
>>SPOILER WARNING<<
First major criticism - my biggest complaint is the message this story conveys. The most relatable, sympathetic, innocent character from the beginning of the film grows up to be the major villain. This poor, little orphan is not adopted, fails to catch the game-winning ball, becomes obsessed with this fact, and becomes psychologically stuck in that place while he simultaneously nourishes a growing desire for revenge against the other innocent, un-adopted orphan he holds responsible.
And how do they redeem this wretched character? Do they come through with a message that sometimes people face challenges but we each make the choices on how we deal with that and have control of the lives we choose to live? No. They don't even remain consistent with their own internal themes. Instead, Disney uses a time machine to go back in time so the boy catches the ball, never faces that challenge and, thus, does not develop into the miserable, fumbling wretch he otherwise would have. Pathetic! What kind of moral is that for kids? For anyone? Disney ought to be ashamed.
Second major criticism - the film introduces a bunch of quirky, but two-dimensional, characters that could have been very interesting but Disney does little more than introduce them, stuff a few lines of dialogue in their mouths, and rushes ahead. What a wasted opportunity. These characters COULD have been so much fun.
Third criticism - this film has nothing to offer anyone interested in more than pretty, flashing pictures. Adults will be terribly disappointed. Unlike most recent animated films by Pixar, DreamWorks, Sony ImageWorks, Studio Ghibli, and so many others (eg, Hoodwinked, Monster House, Ice Age, Ant Bully), Robinsons has nothing to appeal to grown-ups - no double-meanings, no witty banter, no sub-text, nothing deeper than the surface of your television. The dialogue is uninteresting & tedious, the jokes are few & flat, the gags are mostly frenetic & childish, and I could go on and on.
What can I say that is positive? Well, "Little Wonders", the song track by Rob Thomas is outstanding! It will elicit the only emotional experience this film has to offer. Also, the CGI is, mostly, pretty darn good, though I thought the future city left a bit to be desired. Sadly, flashy CG isn't enough to sell a film these days. But perhaps in Disney's case, millions of dollars in marketing is.
Save your money. Spend it better elsewhere. Before you even waste your time with this rubbish, first watch EVERY film by Pixar, Studio Ghibli, Sony ImageWorks, Columbia Pictures animation, DreamWorks, and the others listed above because even the worst of those is better than Meet the Robinsons. Or just take a nap - it will be a much better use of your time.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Keep Moving Forward
Comment: Having just seen Wall-E, I looked in vain for Pixar in the credits on this film. John Lasseter's name is on it, but other than that, no sign of Luxo Jr., the little hopping Pixar lamp. This is a bit of an odd duck film because it missed its curtain time, unveiling late, and slipped under the radar. That said, the story line is as complex and developed as Wall-E, the film is so good I wished it were longer, and the DVD is graced with compelling extras.
You can read the story anywhere, but the book it came from is by William Joyce, also the creative pen behind Playtime Disney's Rolie Polie Olie (sp.). The Robinson look is very different than that, but it's got the same mixing of traditional retro design with imaginative take-offs. Wilbur Robinson just about steals the show, and the voice acting reminds me of another quality animated sleeper, Titan A.E.. Titan was the Bluth studio's swan song, and failed, as did Warner's The Iron Giant, merely because only Disney can market animation. That said, Disney almost couldn't, or didn't market Meet the Robinsons (despite the fact that the space/ time travel ship and the city would make great toys, and it's not like Disney to miss a licensing opportunity.
The extras really make the DVD. The best is the intervew with the director. The music is varied and strong enough to make the soundtrack stand on its own. There's also a history of inventions featurette that has the feel of '50s documentaries of Disneyland. It's got the same mix of science fact and speculation as earlier non-fiction segments that ran on the Disney TV shows, for instance the three space programs on the Tommorowland Disney Treasures set (which spurred our own space program). The last of the three is the best animated, but perpetuates the myth that Medievals thought the world was flat. This invention featurette admits that Galileo didn't invent the telescope, but otherwise plays fast and loose, giving Edison credit for inventing the light bulb, Philo T. Farnsworth the T.V., Bell the telephone, etc. In most cases, these men were perfecting ideas that many inventors were working on. In Edison's case, although he was a tireless inventor, he often stole his employees' and associates' ideas, particularly those of Nikola Tesla and Steinmetz (the brains behind General Electric).
All that is generally known, but it would be nice to have a bit more homework behind the Disney version. That said, in the realm of imagination the big D is unsurpassed. The video game looks quite good, and I'm all ready for the Robinson ride. The Robinsonian motto "Keep Moving Forward" even comes from Walt himself, as two quotes at the close of the film make clear. In this regard the film's motto recalls the song in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: "From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success".
Dexter's Laboratory likely sparked the current interest in whiz kid protagonists, but it's nice to see so much wit, enthusiasm, and, I think I can say, love put into a family film. In my view, the "G" rating stands for "great!"
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