Meet the Robinsons

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pap64
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Post by pap64 »

Meet the Robinsons is such an underrated Disney film. True its not perfect, and the middle of the film kind of ruins the tone due to its madcap humor and introduction of characters, but it did so many things well, especially the main story and villain.

Seriously Bowler Hat Guy is a great villain, not for his villainous schemes but because of who he is. He might be the first Disney villain we meet as a kid and the first Disney character to go from supporting character to villain.

Goob became Bowler Hat Guy NOT because he was always evil. He became BHG out of loneliness, desperation and sadness. He was left alone all those years at the orphanage, seeing his only friend become a great man. Its almost heartbreaking to see.

And at the end when he walks away from the Robinsons looking pensive as Louis reads the question mark in BHG's unicorn binder... Its a very subtle way of punctuating an already dramatic character.

Then there's Louis' search for his mother, which is the whole theme of the movie. Some say that the film nearly achieved Pixar's storytelling appeal. But to me, Robinsons is a pure Disney film. It had an outcast character trying to make a big difference in his world and wishing to find a place to call home, and discovers it by going through an unforgettable adventure with vivid settings and great characters.

That just reeks of Disney to me :) .

Oh and it was GREAT seeing a Jetsons like future in films again. The theme now is showing a dystopian future destroyed by war and man's own greed. We've grown so wary of the future that we think of Earth being destroyed first and a bright future has become a silly thought (something even PIXAR is guilty of...).
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Post by ajmrowland »

pap64 wrote:
Goob became Bowler Hat Guy NOT because he was always evil. He became BHG out of loneliness, desperation and sadness. He was left alone all those years at the orphanage, seeing his only friend become a great man. Its almost heartbreaking to see.
^That, and he hates Lewis for ruining the game, which he obsesses over.

It's also Ironic how, in the beginning, he's talking about how the other players are lazy, and he ends up being the one to fall asleep in the game.
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Post by Escapay »

pap64 wrote:Meet the Robinsons is such an underrated Disney film. True its not perfect, and the middle of the film kind of ruins the tone due to its madcap humor and introduction of characters
I always felt that was the intent. Most people consider the middle of MTR to be the weakest part of the film, but I felt it was done the right way. After all, Lewis isn't going to wait patiently for Wilbur, all the while having each family member suddenly come to the garage to have a nice cup of tea and pleasant conversation. That's not who the Robinsons are. The madcap humour and the whole craziness and random laughs are the Robinsons. Introducing them any other way just wouldn't work as well. It doesn't really ruin the tone for me because for Lewis, he's just been taken from a very serious event (messing up the science fair) to some wonderful world. And he has very little time to take it all in. So the whole unexpectedness and fun he has with this crazy family becomes the new tone of the story. The viewer becomes just like Lewis, as they're thrust into something new and exciting, with very little time to catch their breath.

I also agree with all your points about BHG. He's an excellent villain, even if he wasn't the "true" villain of the story.
pap64 wrote:to me, Robinsons is a pure Disney film. It had an outcast character trying to make a big difference in his world and wishing to find a place to call home, and discovers it by going through an unforgettable adventure with vivid settings and great characters.

That just reeks of Disney to me :) .
Agreed.
pap64 wrote:Oh and it was GREAT seeing a Jetsons like future in films again. The theme now is showing a dystopian future destroyed by war and man's own greed. We've grown so wary of the future that we think of Earth being destroyed first and a bright future has become a silly thought (something even PIXAR is guilty of...).
Agreed again.

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Post by pap64 »

Good point, Scaps. I will agree, however, that the middle of the film did have some great visual jokes.

"BAKE THEM COOKIES LUCILLE!"

One other thing I forgot to mention about BHG is that he is a refreshing villain. In many Disney films you see right away who the villain is. You see the grin in his or her face, the way they dress and a cunning look in their eyes and you know he or she will be the main antagonist and that they have been created just to be evil.

BHG as I already explained is not like that. He grows into his evil bad guy role, but still kept some of his innocence from his childhood days.

In other words, he might be Disney's first HUMAN villain, as in he wasn't born evil or created for the purpose of giving the main character trouble. He was there to tell his story AND give the main character trouble. It also helps that they are also friends, another unique element in the Disney canon.

So as you can see, Meet the Robinsons does have some punch and unique elements. Its definitely great that John Lasseter told the director to focus on HIS story, not what the audience or even the suits wanted.

I do wonder, however, if the film had done better if it was a 2D animated film. It looks as if the current CG rut may have convinced people it was just another silly CG movie.
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Post by blackcauldron85 »

pap64 wrote:In other words, he might be Disney's first HUMAN villain, as in he wasn't born evil or created for the purpose of giving the main character trouble. He was there to tell his story AND give the main character trouble.
Not to change the topic, but lots of Disney's villains are "human" villains, not necessarily evil from birth. I think what you mean is that BHG is not an evil person, just a depressed person. Because too many to list here villains could've just been ordinary people earlier in life (people like Lady Tremaine, Stromboli, Madame Medusa, etc.)...
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Post by Disney's Divinity »

Escapay wrote:After all, Lewis isn't going to wait patiently for Wilbur, all the while having each family member suddenly come to the garage to have a nice cup of tea and pleasant conversation. That's not who the Robinsons are. The madcap humour and the whole craziness and random laughs are the Robinsons. Introducing them any other way just wouldn't work as well.
Actually, I was thinking they could've at least cut 3 of the family members (the obese guy who doesn't speak and the man with the puppet attached to his hand, for instance--maybe even Franny's brother who she fights with at the table), and the movie would've flowed a lot better. It's one thing to have comedy from the family members, it's another having too many "pop in here, disappear later" characters. To me, that's really the only thing comparable to Pixar--their later films tend to have a wide cast of pointless, one-background-line characters. I think they wanted there to be a feeling of "family" and "community" so Lewis wanted to be a part of the Robinsons, but having characters who don't do anything is far less effective than having several who do a lot, I would think.

Besides that, I really loved Meet The Robinsons. And I think the main reason why has been touched on enough (BHG). I have to admit that the ending was perfect--"Little Wonders" was a great song and fit well. Roll your eyes if you must, but I cried a little when the head mother of the orphanage was waving bye to Lewis as he was driven away (and also when Lewis decided not to see his mother). I think that's why I love the movie, because it has a 'happy every after' but also a sense of bittersweetness at the same time.
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Post by Disneykid »

Meet the Robinsons truly is an underrated film. I wasn't expecting much from it when I first saw it in theaters, and I was completely bowled over (pun not intended) by it. The ending, like Disney's Divinity said, really packs a punch. I found myself welling up a bit, especially when Lucille started to lose it at seeing Lewis's excitement over the new room. I can't even remember the last time that's happened to me in a Disney movie. The Walt quote at the end was icing on the cake and gives me chills every single time I watch the film.

I love the style and tone of the film It reminds me of a blend between Alice in Wonderland and The Emperor's New Groove, with a little Back to the Future thrown in for good measure. It was nice to see Disney tackle something more fanciful again. Their other animated films as of late have been pretty grounded in reality, even their talking animal films like Chicken Little and Bolt. Meet the Robinsons, for the first time in years, was a Disney animated film that felt truly imaginative.

As for the much-discussed middle act, I love the humor in it. Like the emotional punch I got from the ending, I can't remember the last time I laughed so much at a non-Pixar Disney film. I think my only concern with that act is how it's edited. A lot of it honestly feels like "Gag. Gag. Gag." Each joke has its own mini scene and location, resulting in something kind of choppy. It flows better once Wilbur takes Lewis aside to quiz him. The quick editing honestly doesn't bother me as much as it seems to bother others, though. It's merely an observation.

Between Disney's three CG films (I'm not counting Dinosaur), Meet the Robinsons is far and away the winner for me. Chicken Little was cute but didn't satisfy me very much from either a plot or comedic perspective. Bolt is probably the most professional of the three films, and while I did think it was great, it also felt a little too safe and familiar. Meet the Robinsons is funnier and has a better storyline than Chicken Little, and it's more memorable and gutsy than Bolt.
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Re: Meet the Robinsons - Reviews and Discussion Thread

Post by Jules »

:shock: :shock:

I literally just stumbled on a 2018 Facebook post by Nik Ranieri detailing how he was trying to complete a Bowler Hat Guy animated short for the DVD/Blu-ray release of Meet the Robinsons. His story is quite heart-wrenching.

Best of all, his post includes the full work-in-progress reel of the film, comprising storyboards, animatics, rough animation, completed-but-not-yet-rendered animation as well as a few fully rendered shots.

It is an incredibly funny short film - way more than the feature it stems from. I hope you guys enjoy it (and that it hasn't already been posted on the forum before.)

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=27107 ... hSXqDZiP56

EDIT: I started reading the first few pages of this thread and promptly regretted it. God almighty was I vindictive back in 2007! I can assure you all that I didn't really mean what I wrote (especially when I was suggesting that certain critics need to have their head shoved in the toilet.) It was really a form of hyperbole to vent my frustration. Still, looking back at these posts with 31-year old eyes, I went way too far! I now realise how much I've changed in 13 years.
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Re: Meet the Robinsons (2007) Discussion Thread

Post by blackcauldron85 »

^ I did not see that end coming! That was super-enjoyable- thanks for sharing it! I am all about more Tiny, and he was the funniest part!!! It's a shame, what Nik wrote about how Disney said no more shorts, but Pixar still got to do them. :(
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Re: Meet the Robinsons (2007) Discussion Thread

Post by Jules »

blackcauldron85 wrote:^ I did not see that end coming! That was super-enjoyable- thanks for sharing it! I am all about more Tiny, and he was the funniest part!!! It's a shame, what Nik wrote about how Disney said no more shorts, but Pixar still got to do them. :(
He made a follow-up post with a revised reel of the film (presented to Lasseter in hopes he would greenlight the short.) Apparently John hated the end gag as he felt it mocked the mentally ill, so he wanted it changed. I will admit I found the gag questionable myself, but also hilarious.

Turns out Nik's efforts were all futile as Lasseter apparently disliked Meet the Robinsons and especially the villain, and was certainly not going to greenlight a film centred on his most detested character. (Kind of surprising considering 2/3 of the film was scrapped and replaced with material I assumed he liked.)
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Re: Meet the Robinsons (2007) Discussion Thread

Post by Sotiris »

Even though I didn't find the ending of the original version of the short offensive, I prefer the second, revised version better. It's more in line with the themes of the movie and gives Bowler Hat Guy a nicer ending.

I suspect Lasseter hated Meet the Robinsons because he couldn't toss it altogether and start again from scratch like he did with American Dog and Rapunzel. We know what a control freak he can be. I guess that explains why Meet the Robinsons was never included among his output during his time at the studio despite scrapping 60% of the previous version and praising himself for fixing the movie in the press at the time of its release.
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Re: Meet the Robinsons (2007) Discussion Thread

Post by Disney's Divinity »

What is the revised ending? I liked the short myself, but the BHG was always my favorite part about the film. I wonder if Lasseter's dislike of the character had to do with his hatred of villains in general? Admittedly, the BHG is more in the comical vein of Yzma, Mim, etc., but he's very successful at elevating the movie, imo. Well, I should say he and Doris both. I do think the ending went to a darker place than really gels with the character...
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Re: Meet the Robinsons (2007) Discussion Thread

Post by Sotiris »

Disney's Divinity wrote:What is the revised ending?
Here you go.
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Re: Meet the Robinsons (2007) Discussion Thread

Post by blackcauldron85 »

I do like the revised ending. I liked things in the original pass, like the puppets, but this one was more satisfying. The poo stuff is a little reminiscent of some of the cringier stuff in Chicken Little but not too awful. I loved seeing the Robinsons at the end.
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Re: Meet the Robinsons (2007) Discussion Thread

Post by blackcauldron85 »

New Episodes of “Rolie Polie Olie” Are Being Made For Disney+
https://www.piratesandprincesses.net/ne ... or-disney/

The creator of Rolie Polie Olie also was the writer of A Day With Wilbur Robinson. I don't know if William Joyce was involved in the MtR sequel that DisneyToon was making years back, or if he even is required to be involved with any future MtR stuff...but, I wonder since he's working w/ Disney again if they will make anything new w/ the Robinsons?!
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Re: Meet the Robinsons (2007) Discussion Thread

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WILBUR ROBINSON was my first ever crush. Anyone who does not appreciate his charisma simply has no place in this world. The proof for the fact that there is a hell is the fact that an entire generation has slept on this character. :cry:
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Re: Meet the Robinsons (2007) Discussion Thread

Post by blackcauldron85 »

Interview: Meet the Robinsons Director Stephen J. Anderson Discusses the Classic Disney Film
https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/featu ... j-anderson
(Via animatedviews.com)
Bowler Hat Guy was actually a villain named Mortimer Clinch and he was just a rival inventor of Cornelius Robinson in the future. He just wanted to go back in time and ruin Cornelius’ life because he wanted to be the success.
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Re: Meet the Robinsons (2007) Discussion Thread

Post by Sotiris »

It's a shame they changed that. A real, menacing villain with a reasonable motive would have made the movie much better.
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Re: Meet the Robinsons (2007) Discussion Thread

Post by Jules »

Sotiris wrote:It's a shame they changed that. A real, menacing villain with a reasonable motive would have made the movie much better.
But it sounds like his motive wasn't particularly interesting beyond standard villain hate.

I think the reworked Bowler Hat Guy was given a far more interesting backstory judging by that interview.
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Re: Meet the Robinsons

Post by Sotiris »

Meet The Robinsons At 15: An Oral History Of Disney's Underrated Gem
https://www.slashfilm.com/1150415/meet- ... rated-gem/
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