The three dimensional effects really are the wonder behind this film, breathing a whole new life into a tired old animated format. Disney has already jumped on the bandwagon as far as trends in animated features go; talking animals on a great quest (“Finding Nemo”)- check, cartoons that offer as much humor for adults as for children (“The Incredibles”)- check, and films that feature the voices of famous actors and comedians (“The Wild”)- double check.
But Disney is responsible for setting trends as well as for following them, and with “Meet the Robinsons,” they have taken cues from the formats that have worked well for the above-mentioned animated features at the box office and pushed them one step further. They have successfully combined a heartwarming story, quirky characters and visually captivating animation in a way that makes you feel like, well, like a kid again.
It’s only fitting that a Disney feature that represents the beginning of a bright future in 3D animation would have some of its action take place in the future. But “Meet the Robinsons” begins in the present, with 12-year-old orphan/inventor Lewis. The spiky-haired, preternaturally smart Lewis (he kind of reminds me of that annoying/cute kid from “Jerry McGuire”) has lived his whole life at the 6th Street Orphanage, accompanied by his roommate Goob and caretaker Mildred. Unfortunately, Lewis’ slightly off-kilter fascination with science and has prevented him from being adopted by a family.
After being rejected by yet another potential set of parents, Lewis decides to take his destiny into his own hands and find the birth mother who left him on the steps of the orphanage as a baby. He has no information as to her identity, and so decides to invent his own machine that will replay his memories and hopefully capture a picture of her face. In the process of revealing his new invention at the school science fair, however, his device is stolen by a mysterious figure in a bowler hat and he is whisked into the future by a fast-talking kid named Wilbur who has a time machine.
Confused yet? The plot of “Meet the Robinsons” can be tricky at times, and the many maneuverings between the future and the present are sure to be over the heads of adults and children alike if they are followed too closely. But they aren’t meant to be followed closely. It’s not the twists and turns of the storyline that interest viewers, so much as the visual 3D effects and the underlying message of the movie (come on, it’s not like a Disney movie wouldn’t have an underlying message).
Lewis, like countless animated heroes before him, is on a quest for a family. And on his unexpected adventure in the future he meets- you guessed it- the Robinsons, who are about as strange a family as any kid could find. But it is the Robinsons who provide not only the heart, but also the comic relief to the film. It is the Robinsons who offer the one-liners and movie spoofs that will bring chuckles from parents (there’s one funny bit involving a headshot of Tom Selleck) and laughs from kids (there’s talking frogs).
The message behind the film is a unique one to animated cartoons as well- Lewis learns not to dwell in the past, but to look to the future for happiness. He learns to keep moving forward in order to find out where he belongs, to find not only his true family, but also his own strength. And that’s a message I wouldn’t mind having my 7-year-old sister hear.
And she would really dig the 3D glasses, too.
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