20 Weeks of Disney Animation: ‘Meet the Robinsons’

Meet the Robinsons can not be more different a movie than Chicken Little, the previous film from Disney animation. This is a good thing because, as you may have noticed from my last post, I am not a fan of Chicken Little.

Read: 20 Weeks of Disney Animation: ‘Chicken Little’

Meet the Robinsons was released to theaters in 2007 and was the second fully computer animated film from the studio (not counting Dinosaur). Watching the film now is a reminder that Disney was still in a period of great risk-taking here, despite the reboot of the studio in 2006 with Pixar head John Lasseter taking the helm of all of Disney’s animation endeavors. Though the release date for Meet the Robinsons was pushed back during this time- and much of it was changed- the movie that resulted is a great one, filled with humor and touching messages of family, inspiration, and creativity.

The best part of the film is its self-awareness and disregard for what is expected. Nothing about the film is traditional- from the villain to the plot. But the thing that is most unique is how bizarre it is, which works fully to its benefit. This is what sets it apart from most among other animated movies of its time.

Though family is a common theme among many Disney films, particularly of recent films, I would argue that Meet the Robinsons presents it more effectively than other films, such as Lilo & Stitch for example. Here, it is done in a way that is original and different. Seeing the big, boisterous family in the film is very fun (despite not being able to necessarily remember all the names or how they are all related). This is the only quibble I have with it: there are so many characters, and many that are not fleshed out. However, the ones that are, are done with great care.

To those who have yet to see this film or haven’t revisited it in a while, now is a great time to do so.

Live-action remake: There is no live-action remake planned for Meet the Robinsons.

Meet the Robinsons in the theme parks: Meet the Robinsons is not currently featured in any of the theme parks.

Sequel: A sequel, titled Meet the Robinsons: First Date, was planned for the film. However, after John Lasseter became the head of Disney animation, he cancelled several projects including this one. You can learn more about these projects by reading Jim Hill’s report here.

Meet the Robinsons is available to watch on Disney+.