I’m ashamed to say that, while I remain one of the few Disney faithful, I did not see Meet the Robinson’s on its theatrical release. Nothing in particular got in my way. Maybe it was a slew of spectacular films playing on screens 2 through 75. Doubtful. Maybe it was a sudden, urgent need to be more intellectual and read worldly literature. –HCK- Sorry, milk just came out my nose. No, if I put real thought in it, I may have been scared off by the typical onslaught of press awarded any Disney release. Not any particular movie review but rather, the motivations behind much of the press. Months before a movie release, parties on both sides lay the groundwork for their pre-determined position on any film. And like the political faithful who only point out problems with the opposing candidate, their stance is loud and assertive, even before seeing the film. It seems there is an anti-success bias going on in the world for the past 20 years or so, and Disney, like Microsoft and Wal-Mart is a constant target to attacks… -Woah- I’m way off track here… Let me start again.

I’m ashamed to say that, while I remain one of the few Disney faithful, I did not see Meet the Robinson’s on its theatrical release. You see, while on the way to the multiplex I was attacked by a bear.

So now, several months after its theatrical release, it appears at the Passamaquoddy Cinema.. and on DVD. I took it in and found it a sturdy project although the pacing made it impossible to achieve its potential emotional bang.

This is a story of Lewis, an orphan who looks for solace from his lot in life through invention. Through a myriad of circumstances, Lewis finds himself traveling 30 years into the future where he meets an eccentric and extreme family of the future – the Robinsons. Things quickly deteriorate because of his earlier actions. He must return back to the past to make things right. Standing in his way is Bowler Hat guy, a nefarious villain with the look of a silent movie baddy and the planning skills of an omelet. And in the end, it all ties in with the broken life of his orphanage roommate, Goob, who seeks solace from his lot in life through baseball.

Lewis’ journey may be hectic, but his emotional journey is clear and touching. In there lies the films biggest problem.

The slam bang spray of hit-n-miss gags kept my mind pretty busy. I never had time to feel desperate for Lewis, especially with a bumbling villain as his only nemesis.

Disney’s art design here is very good, but not far enough removed from earlier Computer-animated films like Jimmy Neutron – something that Pixar’s Ratatouille did well. The view of the future was fun and informative while remained positive for the most part.

While Imagineering this story, they happened upon a story concept used in Walt Disney’s first feature film, Snow White. In both stories, the hero/heroine teams up with a large clan of extreme characters who do their best at offering protection. While anyone in the Robinson family are not as iconic as any of the seven dwarfs, they are broadly drawn and humorous. Broadly drawn and humorous may have been the studio mantra behind Meet the Robinsons. A quickly moving story that may jive well with today’s fast edit sensibilities.

The video quality on the DVD is gorgeous. I’m sure it is even more spectacular on Blu-Ray for those of you who have decided to take that plunge. The film offers a nice audio commentary and an informative behind the scenes document. But be warned, it also contains the dreaded and horribly misnamed “Disney’s Fast Play”.