Review: Mr Peabody and Sherman will win more friends than enemies

ONCE again scrounging for inspiration in the canyon of long-forgotten TV, Hollywood has moved some rocks and found Mr Peabody and Sherman.

ONCE again scrounging for inspiration in the canyon of long-forgotten TV, Hollywood has moved some rocks and found Mr Peabody and Sherman.

It was once a short segment in an animated program produced in the mid-1960s titled The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.

Doesn’t ring any bells? Doesn’t matter.

All you need to know is that Mr Peabody is a dog of indiscriminate age and undeniable intelligence. Sherman is his seven-year-old adopted son.

When just a pup, while his poochly peers were off sniffing behinds and lifting legs on shrubs, Mr Peabody (voiced by Modern Family’s Ty Burrell) was acquiring a master’s degree and building a time machine.

Funny script ... a scene from Mr Peabody and Sherman. Picture: Supplied

That’s right. A time machine. As was the case in the original cartoon, Peabody uses the device to dispense on-the-spot history lessons to a puzzled Sherman.

The pair is able to bounce from the French Revolution to ancient Egypt, and then across to the height of the Italian Renaissance, at great speed.

The constant switching of settings keeps proceedings surprisingly fresh throughout, as does Burrell’s wonderful voice work as Mr Peabody.

Sherman, voiced by Max Charles, left, and Mr. Peabody, voiced by Ty Burell, in a scene from Mr Peabody & Sherman. Picture: DreamWorks Animation

The character might well be a know-it-all, but he’s not so arrogant as to become annoying to either children or any parents that might be watching.

To be frank, Mr Peabody & Sherman will not go down as the greatest ‘toon the tykes see this year (that honour may well fall to the astonishing The Lego Movie, out next week).

Nevertheless, it breezes by in a whoosh of colour, fan and good humour that will win it more friends than enemies.

A good laugh ... a scene from Mr Peabody and Sherman. Picture: Supplied

Mr Peabody & Sherman (PG)

Director: Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little)

Starring: the voices of Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Stephen Colbert, Ellie Kemper.

Rating : ***

Time waits for no dog