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Review of Mr. Peabody & Sherman (Danny Elfman)

American Cover

European Cover

FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:

Buy it... if you easily absorb the positive energy that exudes from Danny Elfman's more mainstream children's music, this entry an entertaining diversion saturated with amusing in-jokes.

Avoid it... if you demand truly memorable moments of awe or a neatly sustained narrative, neither of their absence fatal to this work but both nagging flaws.

FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:

Mr. Peabody & Sherman: (Danny Elfman/Various) Performing well enough with family audiences to be a success but not really overwhelming either parents or critics was 2014's Mr. Peabody & Sherman, an animated take on the titular characters from the original 1960's "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show" on television. Several production hiccups, the most major of which saw the film progress from live action to animation, and constantly moving release dates plagued Mr. Peabody & Sherman, but the finished product serves as an affable history and culture lesson that isn't particularly kind to the timeline of the world but still at least teaches kids some basics. The anthropomorphic dog Mr. Peabody is the smartest puppy on the planet and invents a time machine. When he adopts an equally shunned human baby and that boy eventually becomes old enough to travel through time and cause substantial disruptions to the space-time continuum, the adventurous chase is on. Throw in the obligatory young girl as a budding love interest, several humorous pokes at temporal paradoxes, and a range of cameos of famous historical figures ranging from baby Moses up to Bill Clinton (and Mel Brooks voicing Albert Einstein in between). Enthusiasts of the concept were supposed to be treated to a theatrical short film with Rocky and Bullwinkle attached to Mr. Peabody & Sherman, but it was withheld until the home video release. Director Rob Minkoff had worked with a wide variety of composers over the previous ten years, including Alan Silvestri and Mark Mancina, but he and Dreamworks turned to Danny Elfman for Mr. Peabody & Sherman, a relatively conservative choice given the composer's expanded forays into animated children's films in recent years. Elfman's approach to these kinds of assignments only varies to the extent that he allows the wacky mannerisms of his Tim Burton-associated projects to bleed through into his otherwise standard take on the animated realm of music. His just previous duo of Epic and Oz the Great and Powerful featured above average output for this lighter side of life, and along with Frankenweenie this body of music always seems to provide for a solid listening experience. While the score for Mr. Peabody & Sherman follows the same basic formula and has its fair share of highlights, its frantic and constant shifting of gears to account for the travels of the characters causes it to become a more challenging experience.

Collectors of Elfman's work will note that he at times cranks out serviceable but not necessarily memorably comedy and children's music, ranging from Flubber to Meet the Robinsons, reminiscent of John Powell's career in the sense that their auto-pilot for some of these assignments is guaranteed to fetch a three-star rating. In Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Elfman lays waste to several influences that are intentionally impressed upon the score, including outward classical and anthemtic references. There are also subtle allusions to possible temp track placements, especially in the adherence to styles better attributed to both Powell and Silvestri. But, on the whole, this score is absolutely saturated with Elfman's trademark mainstream musical mannerisms. The bouncing sequences of upbeat melody feature, for instance, the composer's expected bass string plucked rhythms and slightly jazzy saxophone or brass themes on top. The orchestra is well utilized in the soundscape, Elfman applying a wealth of impressive compositional techniques, especially with the woodwinds, that keeps the work technically superior. Despite the constantly shifting destinations for the time machine, he doesn't go overboard with instrumental creativity; only in the two non-Elfman, Brazil-related cues and the wild ride of "History Mash-up" does he incorporate touches of unique sound. The choir isn't frequently called upon in this work, but when it does contribute, the score shines. The conclusions of "Off to Egypt" and "The Wedding Exodus" are fantastic examples, the former punching at David Arnold's Independence Day and the latter forcing Hans Zimmer's The Prince of Egypt and Maurice Jarre's Lawrence of Arabia into one monumental closing statement. Thematically, the score remains very loyal to its primary idea, adapted into several scenarios and emotional variants between "Mr. Peabody's Prologue" and "Reign of Terror!" at the start of the score. All of this is well handled by Elfman, but the theme isn't catchy enough to really sustain the score, and the impression it will make upon you is one defined by the style of the music's movement rather than any one motif. The album presentation is an enthusiastic and consistent experience that will entertain any hardcore Elfman collector (spot the quick Batman Returns allusion in "The Drop Off") but without a better-wrapped narrative, it's difficult to award this score the four stars that it may support. That album includes a few source songs (but not the Peter Andre one from the end credits, oddly, causing fangirl consternation) and a dialogue track. It's undeniable fun, but not memorable once it finishes.  ***

TRACK LISTINGS:

Total Time: 50:10

• 1. Mr. Peabody's Prologue (3:20) • 2. Reign of Terror! (2:49) • 3. The Drop Off (1:14) • 4. The Dog Whistle (0:49) • 5. The Cherry Tree (1:00) • 6. A Deep Regard (0:53) • 7. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) - performed by John Lennon (3:51) • 8. Dinner Party (0:31) • 9. The Petersons/The Wabac Machine (3:09) • 10. Aquarela Do Brasil - written by Ary Barroso (0:47) • 11. Off to Egypt (2:07) • 12. The Wedding Exodus (1:06) • 13. Hammer-Time (0:57) • 14. The Flying Machine (4:43) • 15. Trojan Horse (3:26) • 16. War/Disaster (3:33) • 17. History Mash-Up (4:34) • 18. I'm a Dog Too (3:42) • 19. Fixing the Rip (2:14) • 20. Back to School (1:16) • 21. Aquarela Do Brasil (Coda) (1:03) • 22. The Amazing Mr. Peabody (0:35) • 23. Way Back When - performed by Grizfolk (2:47)

NOTES & QUOTES:

The packaging varies by region. The American pressing contains a coloring book and an insert with credits that are impossible to read. It includes no extra information about the score or film.

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The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Mr. Peabody & Sherman are Copyright © 2014, Relativity Music Group / Sony Classical and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 2/7/15 (and not updated significantly since).