Disney's second 3D effort is definitely an improvement over their first outing, CHICKEN LITTLE. Relying far less on SHREK-like antics, the film economically moves forward holding on to its central thread — its main character's search for family. The ending delivers so well that all the problems that came before are easily forgotten.
Lewis (Daniel Hansen and Jordan Fry) is an orphan, who creates wacky inventions. After yet another disastrous adoption interview, Lewis decides to build a memory device so that he can remember his mother, who he is convinced didn't give him up because she didn't love him, but because she had to out of circumstance. However, during the science fair where he's about to unveil his new device, he is visited by a boy from the future named Wilbur Robinson (Wesley Singerman, A CHARLIE BROWN VALENTINE), who warns him that a shifty Bowler Hat Guy (director Stephen J. Anderson) is out to steal his invention. Eventually, Lewis and Wilbur get stuck in the future and Lewis promises to fix the time machine as long as Wilbur takes him to see his mother.
The set-up is fairly simple. An orphan wants a family and falls in love with Wilbur's wacky relatives, which includes Grandpa Bud (again Anderson), Uncle Art (Adam West, TV's BATMAN) and Wilbur's mom Franny (Nicole Sullivan, TV's THE KING OF QUEENS). The film sells Lewis' need for a family and how the story pays off that goal is emotionally resonant. I particularly liked how the resolution played out without resorting to big speeches to fill in the audience. This was unneeded because Lewis' goals were clearly defined and the closing conflict linked directly to Lewis' goals. This was one of the problems with CHICKEN LITTLE, which lacked a great deal of focus.
However, I won't say that ROBINSONS doesn't have its problems. It loses focus from time to time when dealing with the wacky and crazy Robinsons. Their antics seem to tap into kids' love of silly mayhem, but do little to define the characters past eccentric. At first I wondered if so many Robinsons were need as well, but realized that in the end with a large, loving family embracing Lewis it made for a bigger emotional punch. He not only gets a mom and dad, but a whole extended family too.
Don't think I gave too much away, because the relationships aren't as obvious as they seem. Well not obvious to the characters at least. Adults and savvy kids will quickly figure out the film's twists long before they are revealed, however this never undermines the story.
Additionally, the Bowler Hat Guy is a fairly weak villain. I've never really like bumbling advisories because they pose such little threat. I want menacing bad guys like Stromboli and the other classic Disney meanies. Madame Medusa would make you believe Lewis isn't going to get adopted. However, Bowler Hat Guy does weave into the conclusion nicely. Again supporting ROBINSONS success in bringing the plot together in the end and delivering.
As for the humor, it’s the weakest part of the film. Nothing creates more than a chuckle, the style can be erratic and Bowler Hat Guy can be a bit long winded at times.
So you might hink that's a lot of negative stuff. Well it actually amounts to minor quibbles. It's the areas of weakness that make this a good film instead of a great film. The characters are likeable and we care about Lewis. Because the story never loses track of its central theme, all the elements add up in the end even if not all the elements worked on their own. Nice production design helps as well. By liking the way the future looks, you subtly are excited for Lewis' future as well. So ultimately when enough elements serve the core idea, you get a satisfying whole in the end. MEET THE ROBINSONS is a bumpy roller coaster ride that keeps its biggest and smoothest thrills till the end, thus leaving the viewer with a worthwhile experience.
Plus, if you can find it playing in 3-D in your local area, it makes the ride even more fun.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
