Meet The Robinsons (Blu-ray + DVD)
Picture: A-/B+ Sound: A-/B Extras: A Film: B+
Wow! This reviewer was thoroughly impressed by the
film and the surprisingly imaginative journey presented with Meet The Robinsons on DVD. A viewer is always expecting a certain level
of creativity and innovation from Disney, but Meet The Robinsons has gone to infinity and beyond.
The story
of Meet The Robinsons follows the
classic archetype of a young boy who never knew his family. The main character, Lewis, was dropped at the
doorstep of an orphanage as a baby and spent most of his childhood trying to be
placed into a new home; but 124 adoption interviews later Lewis is still at the
orphanage. If there is something Lewis
is as passionate about as finding a family, it is inventing. Lewis’ inventions don’t always seem to
workout but his spirit is never broken.
Upon having his 124th adoption rejection Lewis decides enough is enough;
but at that moment Lewis has a brilliant idea, if he could invent something that
would jog his memory to reveal what his mother looked like, maybe, just maybe
he could find her. After months of
research, testing, failure, and everything in between, Lewis finally has
success and enters his ‘memory scanner’ into the yearly Science Fair.
At the
Science Fair there are varieties of characters, but two in particular
standout. One is a mysterious, cloaked
man in a Bowler Hat and the other a hyperactive, pointed haired kid named
Wilbur. Wilbur claims to be a Time
Officer from the future and Wilbur is in grave danger; soon enough the audience
learns that is at least half true. Soon,
Lewis finds himself, along with his new friend Wilbur, thrust into the future
where a whole new world opens up for him.
In a world of robots, giant octopuses, dogs with glasses, and singing
frogs Wilbur finally thinks he has found his true family and where he
belongs. Is it too good to be true? Will Wilbur save himself from predicted
doom? And just who is that mysterious
man in the bowler hat? It sure ain’t
John Steed from The Avengers.
The film
was brilliant and action packed. At no
point was this reviewer bored, due to a gripping story line infused with humor
and a degree of mystery. One of the two
ventures that Disney has done recently without Pixar Studios, Meet The Robinsons
proved to be a smashing success, demonstrating that on its own, Disney’s still
got it.
The
technical features on this CGI Disney DVD are especially good. From picture to extras the features all
manage to impress. The 1080p 1.78 X 1
digital High Definition image on then Blu-ray version is stunning, matching Chicken Little (reviewed elsewhere on
this site) as another amazing HD performer.
Instead of a storybook style, this one is modernist Science Fiction
reborn when we go into thee future.
Think Jetsons. As you may know, the film was released in 3-D
and although you cannot see that with this version, if your HD set up is
refined enough, you should be able to get an idea at times of what that might
have been like.
Though
the standard DVD cannot compete, it is still sports an impressive picture, presented
in an excellent 1.78 X 1 Widescreen anamorphically enhanced for 16 X 9
televisions. The picture remains crisp
and solid throughout with the colors in balance and little to no light/dark
issues. The sound quality sounds a tad
compressed at times but overall is excellent in its Disney Dolby Digital 5.1
Surrounds. The great soundtrack used for
the film truly comes alive with its 5.1 surrounds and the futuristic noises,
voice acting, and other sound texture aspects are extremely well
presented. That soundtrack exists on
both versions, but cannot beat the PCM 24/48 5.1 mix, which is richer, with an
even more accurate soundfield and one of the more complex mixes for any
animated feature. At its best, it
reminded me of the cleverness of The
Incredibles.
The
extras are definitely Grade ‘A’ with many features for fans and Disney
enthusiast to enjoy. The extras include
such great elements as deleted scenes with commentaries that are both
insightful and interesting into the films development process. Other special features also help the audience
understand the film’s development process with the expansive ‘Inventing the Robinsons’ feature that
has where the original idea game from, voice casting, and much more. There is also a full audio commentary with
the director and other special guests, some game features, and two very good
music videos. With so many films using
poor music choices that are simply unexhilarating, Meet The Robinsons was a pleasant surprise with the music styles of
The All American Rejects, Rob Thomas, Danny Elfman, The Jonas Brothers, and
many more. Overall, the special features
on this DVD are insightful, rewatchable, and continue in the Disney tradition
of making a classic with family fun.
Meet The Robinsons is an excellent film and one of
the best animated/CGI features this reviewer has seen in a while. The film even trumps the last combined
Disney/Pixar venture Cars (reviewed
elsewhere on this site) that this reviewer also enjoyed for its own
reasons. Meet The Robinsons maintains a great sense of humors throughout
that both children and adults will find entertaining with its blend of mature
yet subtle comedy. In the end, Meet The Robinsons was a creative venture
with a heartfelt message that proved to the world why Disney is still one of
the best.
- Michael P Dougherty II
