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At first glance, “Meet The Robinsons” might seem to continue in the same direction as “Chicken Little”, with a frenetic pace that allows only for light touches on the various plot points and style and content that has been done before. Look closer, however, and you’ll realise that “Meet The Robinsons” works because it tries not to push boundaries but to create freshness out of previously-explored ground. Thus, the film has in it all the stock Disney ideas from the orphan hero to the archetypal moustached villain, but recombines them with unexpected humour.

The film begins with orphan genius Lewis trying to invent a machine that will unlock his subconscious memory so that he can recollect the day he was abandoned by his mother. However, the evil Bowler Hat Guy sabotages his experiment and then proceeds to steal it and pass it off as his own. Lewis, meanwhile, meets Wilbur Robinson, a kid from the future and travels with him to the future. Together with Wilbur and the rest of the Robinsons, Lewis must now find a way to stop the Bowler Hat Guy from destroying the future that Wilbur’s father Cornelius has built.

As can be expected from any film built around the idea of time travel, “Meet The Robinsons” has a wildly loopy rhythm that deprives the film of a chance to dig deep on the ideas it begins to explore. But where the film lacks exposition, it makes up with genuine warmth, at least as genuine as a mainstream animated film can deliver. Its emphasis on ideas like the importance of failure and a good support system are rather tastefully made, and the film benefits more than suffers from the eccentric optimism that pervades it.

The humour in the film too is a distinct departure from the referential, adult-directed humour that has come to occupy so many animation vehicles nowadays. The only in-joke this film does, involving a character voiced by Tom Selleck, passes by in a flash without too much fanfare. Instead, it returns to classic situational humour, with some excellent flourishes such as complaints about anatomy from a self-aware T-Rex and a villain who carries his three-step life-plan in a pink unicorn binder. This film lacks the genius of that animation milestone “The Incredibles” but in certain ways, it stems from the same essentially good natured spirit. Indeed, the film certainly seems to have benefited from steering clear of all the standard trappings of animated films, including a glitzy star cast. This gives the film the advantage of a number of small but strong performances (including a brilliant portrayal of the bumbling Bowler Hat Guy by director Stephen J. Anderson) instead of being weighed down by bloated star-pandering roles. Perhaps the only real mistake of the film is to attribute the film’s main message, “Keep moving forward” to Walt Disney, which surely will not sit well with viewers who are not comfortable with the effect that the animation giant has had on cinema.

From the perspective of animation too, the film scores many points over “Chicken Little”. Again, the film doesn’t push boundaries, but by paying great attention to detail, it creates a rather enjoyable visual palette. The sunny-side-up perspective of the film is reflected in the animation too, particularly in the pastel utopia that is the future. “Meet The Robinsons” takes the bright predictions of the “world of tomorrow” rides in American theme parks and makes them even brighter. Although the film originally released in 3-D in select theatres, it is just as enjoyable without the special effects gravy.

The DVD comes with a fair bit of special features including deleted scenes, a featurette on inventions that changed the world, a commentary on the film, a couple of music videos and a few games that young children would enjoy.

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