Some crazy but charming shit happens.
From Yahoo! Movies:
When Lewis meets a mysterious boy from the future named Wilbur Robinson, the two travel forward in time where Lewis discovers the amazing secret of the Robinson family. Lewis is a brilliant twelve-year-old with a surprising number of clever inventions to his credit. His latest and most ambitious project is the Memory Scanner, which he hopes will retrieve early memories of his mother and maybe even reveal why she put him up for adoption. But before he can get his answer, his invention is stolen by the dastardly Bowler Hat Guy and his diabolical hat - and constant companion - Doris. Lewis has all but given up hope in his future when a mysterious boy named Wilbur Robinson whisks our bewildered hero away in a time machine and the two travel forward in time to spend a day with Wilbur's eccentric family. In a world filled with flying cars and floating cities, they hunt down Bowler Hat Guy, save the future and uncover the amazing secret of Lewis' future family
Like most sub-boomers, I grew up watching cartoons and can appreciate a good cartoon movie. Though ostensibly marketed towards kids, movies like the Shrek franchise, Ice Age, The Incredibles, and Flushed Away have "in jokes" or whole subplots that can be appreciated by adults as well. Meet the Robinsons is definitely more kid oriented than any of the above, but its execution can be appreciated by anyone.
Since Disney acquired Pixar, it has been looking for a movie to put it back into the CG animation marketplace without having to reach into "the Disney vault." Meet the Robinsons is a fine addition to the proper Disney stable. All the gags were done well, there was no heartfelt musical number, and the characters were reasonably compelling. Adults will probably see the plot twists coming but the plot pacing is perfect for your jaded teenager and below. While appropriate for anyone, kids not yet in grade school may get lost in some of the content and action.
The "feel good, conquer adversity" message ever-present in most Disney movies was addressed but not overdone, though it did come complete with catch phrase. Having a science geek as the hero was a cool touch and different enough from Jimmy Neutron to be comfortable for fans of that franchise. The graphics were similar to those in The Incredibles, cartoony but centered enough in reality not to be surreal. The vibe of the movie is a 50's futurism with modern sensibilities and excellent graphics.
If you're interested in light-hearted popcorn fare that you could get the kids in on, check this out. On a side note, I was able to watch this in 3D and if you have the opportunity I would highly encourage you to do so as well. It wasn't made with 3D in mind so don't expect a bunch of crap to come flying at you, but it was a more immersive experience and highlighted the CG. Plus the glasses aren't goofy.
Score: 4/5 -- Not a Toy Story, but definitely a good flick
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