Triff die Robinsons (Meet the Robinsons)
U.S.A. 2007

Opening 29 Mar 2007

Directed by: Stephen J. Anderson
Writing credits: Michelle Bochner, Daniel Gerson, William Joyce, Shirley Pierce
Principal actors: Angela Bassett, Daniel Hansen, Jordan Fry, Matthew Josten, John H. H. Ford

This is an adventure story based on the book A Day with Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce. A baby is left at an orphanage on a rainy night and ends up being super-genius-inventor Lewis. His unhappy roommate, Goob, only wishes to win a baseball game, but night-owl Lewis prevents him from sleeping. The Science Fair is a turning point for Lewis, who invents something that will revolutionize the future. Wilbur, a boy from future time, warns about a strange man in a bowler who will attempt to steal his invention. Lewis meets a family from the future, which is as crazy and inventive as he is, but he must return to the past.

The characters are zany but unfortunately too reminiscent of Toy Story and The Incredibles characters. This is confusing to kids who know those movies as well. The storyline deals with time travel, i.e., going forward or backwards in time, which is confusing for children under ten. The film has a dark side: the world loses hope for the future, a concept which is also difficult for younger kids. However, future world, with its scientific inventions, does leave kids with a positive message, namely: learning and creativity are important for our future. (Shelly Schoeneshoefer)