I’m not entirely sure why DreamWorks thinks Mr. Peabody and Sherman is going to be a hot property with today’s youngsters; not only is it based on a cartoon that is, in fact, older than my own mother, but the shtick is all based around intelligence and learning.
For a company famous for hyperactive franchises Shrek and Madagascar, doesn’t that seem a little off-brand? Then again, they could always make Peabody pop-culture obsessed, saddle Sherman with generous amounts of childish scatological humor, and have the duo fight a giant cartoon dragon in the climax. Then it would be a DreamWorks film through and through.
In any case, the first piece of promotional art made available for the 2014 release doesn’t exactly indicate the film’s creative direction, except that it will, of course, be in 3D. The film stars Ty Burrell as genius dog Mr. Peabody (filling in for Robert Downey Jr., who unfortunately dropped out at the last minute) and newcomer Max Charles as Sherman.
Tell us what you think, all you rabid, possibly geriatric Peabody and Sherman fans out there.