Meet the Robinsons (2007)

Directed by Steve Anderson

Written by Jon A. Bernstein, Michelle Spritz, and Nathan Greno. Based on  A Day with Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce.

Premiered March 30, 2007

94 minutes

Rated G

Synopsis

A twelve-year-old orphan named Lewis (Jordan Fry) has a passion for inventing but as he nears his teen years, adoption feels like a pipe dream, even if he is ever so plucky and lovable. On the day of the big science fair, Lewis means to impress several prospective parents with a memory scanner. However a teenage boy named Wilbur Robinson (Wesley Singerman) bursts on the scene, wanting to make certain Lewis's invention is seen and approved by Dr. Krunklehorn (Laurie Metcalf), representative at an invention company. Also arriving on the scene is the creepy and hygienically challenged Bowler Hat Guy (Stephen Anderson), who wants to make certain Lewis's invention is not approved by Dr. Krunklehorn and therefore steals it and travels 30 years into the future. Wilbur and Lewis have no choice but to follow him and Lewis ends up meeting the rest of the eccentric Robinson family.

Before We Begin

Meet the Robinsons was the first Disney Animated Featured released after I legally became an adult. I was a freshman in college and was in no hurry to go see it for several reasons.

1. I was an adult.
2. Whatever Meet the Robinsons was supposed to be, it wasn't a princess movie or a "classic" story.
3. As far as I was concerned, the last DAF that mattered was Home on the Range because it was traditionally animated. Chicken Little (which I had not yet seen at that point) and this, Disney's latest offering, didn't count, so how could I be bothered?

I must have eventually read somewhere that the Disney Canon was indeed continuing on, despite any changes in animation style, or my personal opinions. What choice did I have? Watch Meet the Robinsons I did. And here we are, almost at the end of my Fondness category, so it turned out all right in the end.

Mötley Müsings

• My cat is sitting in front of the TV. Thankfully, it's a very large TV.

• Lewis, one of many, many Disney orphans. But he might be the only one given up for adoption....beyond Hercules, and there were some special circumstances there.

• WE see Lewis's mom's face. That doesn't seem fair.

• Goob (heh, heh, Goob) needs some under eye concealer BAD.

• I wonder how close this is to the book...

• And here's Angela Bassett for no reason.

• Why is everyone dressed like it's 1959?

• My husband has two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch every day, and I would LOVE a fucking machine that made them.

• Epi-pen. Definitely not 1959.

• Adoption is really like shopping for a kid when they're not, like, in the womb.

• This is the biggest screen I've watched this on and it looks cheap. Like direct-to-video cheap.

• Generic mid-2000s pop.

• This movie is all bout its kooky, quirky characters. It assaults you with kooky, quirky characters. That's pretty much all this movie is. And convoluted time travel stuff.

• Ah man, they couldn't get Patrick Warburton back for the gym teacher?

• SHORT SHORTS!

• There's the goth girl on the poster that is just a cameo.

• Bowler Hat Guy. One of the BEST comical Disney villains ever. I know [spoilers] the real villain is Doris, but whatever. Bowl Hat Guy makes this movie.

• He doesn't know that's his mom? Like, come on!

• Pre-teen angst!

• Anybody remember that movie Robots?

• So much drama with Bowler Hat Guy! Love it. Unicorn binder!

• "Very well Miss Johnson."

"Uh, it's Ms."

• Look, it's C3P0.

• And here we meet the Robinsons.

• This movie is MANIC! Nothing makes any sense. Gags for the sake of gags. I need to sit down.

• Oh, good, more Bowler Hat Guy.

• " No! Everyone will tell you to let it go and move on, but don't! Instead, let it fester and boil inside of you! Take these feelings and lock them away. Let them fuel your actions. Let hate be your ally, and you will be capable of wonderful, horrid things."

• This movie is unrelenting.

• "Oh, a mini Doris! I didn't even know you could do that!"

• "Now, to lure him out of the house... I know! I'll blow it up! Yes! Yes, and... uh... no... no. That won't work. Then he'll be dead. Oh, I know! I'll turn him into a duck! Yes, it's so evil! Oh... I don't know how to do that... and I don't really need a duck... this may be harder than I thought.

• Adam West...two DAFs in a row.

• "Where you from Lewis?"
"Um, Canada?"
"I think you mean North Montana, hasn't been called Canada in years!"
"Do you know a Sam Gunderson?"
"It's a big country."
"State!"

• "Nonsense. A north Montana man doesn't care about hat hair."

• Also, Franny doesn't recognize Lewis from when they were kids? Nor the parents? They didn't take pictures of him right after they adopted him? #plothole

• "I have a big head and little arms."

• Awkward...and heart-breaking.

• This is getting better. Good. It wasn't all in my head.

• "What a stupid way to turn it on!"

• Now this is a villain reveal.

• "Hey Goob, what's up?"
"Cool binder, want to come over to my house today?"
"They all hated me."

• Gendered Hat. I like equal opportunity villainy. It doesn't always have to be about beauty or sexual jealousy.

• Fuck, Doris! Right through Threepio's heart!

• Hey, did you know Back to the Future, is one of my favorite movies? And this does a riff on Part II.

• "I got all the time in the world! I got a time machine!"

• Why isn't this causing a paradox!?

• But seriously tho, who wouldn't want to talk to their younger self?

• There you go, Disney, tugging at our heartstrings.

• Lewis to Cornelius...but why? And those people were looking to adopt?

• Disney quote. Keep moving forward...we'll get out of this lumpy CGI Bandwagon era...

Final Thoughts

I'm not surprised that this movie was basically forgotten. There's so much going on it makes one's head spin and it doesn't exactly make you eager for a second viewing. What can I say? It's not a classic story--say like an adaptation of the Arthurian legend or a version of a fairy tale--that's going to draw you back. If it weren't for this movie, I wouldn't even know there was a book called A Day with Wilbur Robinson. And of all the books in the world Disney could have chosen to adapt in that flailing period, why this one?

Yes, I'm baffled...but so what? It is what it is. Meet the Robinsons is here to be ranked and judged against the other Disney Animated Features. I like it, even if the pace and the plot holes make it a little exhausting. Bowler Hat Guy almost makes up for everything; He's the part I look forward to most when I watch this movie. Plus, it packs an emotional punch. I like that.

Favorite Character

Bowler Hat Guy

Favorite Moment -- Bowler Hat Guy is Goob.

Favorite Song -- "Little Wonders" performed by Rob Thomas