Mr. Peabody & Sherman
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: March 7, 2014 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
59
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 34 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
16
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
Portland OregonianStephen WhittyMar 7, 2014
The film also has the original show's spirit and some of its old-fashioned charm. Read full review
80
The TelegraphDavid GrittenFeb 6, 2014
It’s sweet-natured and amusing, with a story to captivate kids; yet the script has enough witty touches to keep adults laughing too. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesMar 5, 2014
The spirit of the thing – the way it champions intellectual curiosity and critical thinking – warmed this nerd’s heart tremendously. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanMar 7, 2014
Back in his day, Mr. Peabody was a dog whose over-civility had bite. Now he's a genius you want to cuddle with. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaMar 7, 2014
Has a cool, midcentury-modern look (dog and boy live in a populuxe Manhattan penthouse) and a voice cast that may not be A-list but fits the bill nicely. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperMar 7, 2014
Mr. Peabody & Sherman” is a whip-smart, consistently funny and good-natured film with some terrific voice performances and one of the most hilarious appearances ever by an animated version of a living human being. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTom RussoMar 6, 2014
In the film’s sharpest visual sequence, they land in ancient Egypt, with the filmmakers entertainingly cribbing from “Indiana Jones” and “The Wizard of Oz” to get them out of tight spots. Read full review
75
Tampa Bay TimesSean DalyMar 6, 2014
Before getting sucked into a what-the-wormhole ending that will scramble young brains, time-travel romp Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a fast, fun 3-D getaway. Read full review
75
New York PostLou LumenickMar 6, 2014
Loaded with improbable cultural references (Sherman totes a Stephen Hawking lunchbox and uses words like “eponymous”), I fear Mr. Peabody and Sherman may be a bit too brainy to fully connect with contemporary movie audiences. Read full review
75
McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreMar 6, 2014
Things drag, here and there. But kids will dig the slapstick, the talking dog and giggle at what flies out of the Sphinx’s butt, or drops from the rear-end of the Trojan Horse. Adults will be tickled at the usual Dreamworks parade of one-liners, running gags and puns, and feel a little sentimental. Read full review
70
TimeRichard CorlissMar 10, 2014
With more sentiment and splash than the original’s sharp wit, Mr. Peabody & Sherman ends up teaching the same lesson as “Peabody’s Improbable History”: every dog should have a boy. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriMar 10, 2014
Mr. Peabody & Sherman is slight, but it’s exceedingly charming, making good use of a talented voice cast. Read full review
70
The New York TimesA.O. ScottMar 6, 2014
[The film] is not perfect, but it is fast-moving, intermittently witty and pretty good fun. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzMar 7, 2014
It's better than OK, and a few elements sing; but overall it frustrates. Its delights come from its willingness to depart from formula, but formula still rules it. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyMar 6, 2014
Parents will get the historical jokes but are unlikely to be amused; kids won’t get them, but might laugh anyway. Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia PuigMar 6, 2014
Lively, educational and intermittently amusing. The fun, however, grows strained and formulaic as the movie goes on. Read full review
60
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlMar 6, 2014
The whole thing has an amiable, gag-to-gag vibe for most of the first hour. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesBetsy SharkeyMar 6, 2014
The animation style mirrors the original, which is simple in an appealing way. It is particularly effective in the action sequences, which make the most of animation's ability to create a playful reality. But the multi-layered historical references designed to be adroitly wry are a trickier gambit. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanMar 6, 2014
Burrell doesn’t quite capture the wry deadpan of the original, but then, neither does the movie. That’s okay. Read full review
60
Total FilmKate StablesMar 3, 2014
Despite top-notch visuals and versatile voice-work from Ty Burrell’s (Modern Family) doting doggy dad and Alison Janney’s monstrous social worker, it lacks the "Up"-style warmth to be best in show. Read full review
60
EmpireHelen O'HaraFeb 6, 2014
There’s a good-hearted father and son tale at the heart of the madness here, but the surroundings are sometimes a little too silly for true greatness. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter BradshawFeb 6, 2014
It's a headspinningly wacky premise, and it takes a little while for the audience to get up to speed, but once this is achieved, there's an awful lot of unexpected fun to be had, boasting zany adventures with various historical figures. Read full review
60
VarietyGuy LodgeFeb 3, 2014
The narrative’s time-travel element allows for plenty of fluffy, fleet-footed action. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinFeb 3, 2014
A pleasant, polished, but somewhat by-the-numbers effort. Read full review
58
HitfixDrew McWeenyApr 18, 2014
The film plays with some funny ideas about time travel, and like any good time travel movie, it flirts with paradox and what happens when you violate the rules of time and space. It doesn't really go far enough with those ideas, though, and the end result is too often timid instead of brash and silly. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubKevin McFarlandMar 5, 2014
Unlike the whimsical, slapstick-driven shorts on which it’s based, this feature-length adaptation adds an obligatory emotional arc that feels at odds with the zany spirit of historical time-travel tales. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubMar 6, 2014
You might need the assistance of a time machine to find a child who is clamoring for a Mr. Peabody & Sherman feature film remake. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsMar 6, 2014
More than anything Minkoff's project feels like a protracted episode of "Jimmy Neutron," a show with characters for whom I don't have the same affection. Read full review
50
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzMar 6, 2014
Rob Minkoff’s film has the generic feel of a kids’ movie that’s trying to please everyone. It’s not horrible. In fact, it’s agreeable enough. But nothing more. Read full review
50
The DissolveTasha RobinsonMar 5, 2014
The film respects its cartoon roots, but never its audience. Read full review
42
The PlaylistDrew TaylorMar 6, 2014
It's the accumulation of a set of ideas that a bunch of creative types and executives think would be clever, instead of something that actually delivers on an engaging entertainment level. Read full review
40
Time Out LondonTom HuddlestonFeb 4, 2014
This feature-length Mr Peabody and Sherman is by no means unbearable: there are a few decent gags, and the episodic plot just about manages to hold the interest. But there’s little here for any but the most easy-to-please youngsters. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineEric HendersonMar 6, 2014
The film spent roughly a dozen years in development, and the moronic, corporate detritus from that long time warp is strewn about like so many improbable history lessons. Read full review
25
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanMar 6, 2014
By visual standards alone, the characters, rendered in eye-popping 3-D, resemble nothing so much as Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade floats. They’re just as lifeless and inexpressive, too. Read full review
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