Meet The Robinsons (again)

As the holiday season ramps up Meet the Robinsons is the first movie from Disney to come out on DVD. (The movie is also available in Blu-ray Disc® format.) The film failed to meet box office expectations for Disney’s second CG film (after Chicken Little), but now that it’s on DVD, I hope you’ll give it a second chance.

I enjoyed Meet the Robinsons in theaters the first time around. It was very much what I wanted from ‘G’ rated family film, good heart, beautiful animation, and nary a bathroom joke, but it didn’t generate the kind of fanatic I have to go see that again feeling I get from the best Disney/Pixar films.

In case you missed Meet The Robinsons in the theaters, here’s the jacket summary:

In Meet the Robinsons we join a young inventor named Lewis as he sets off on a time-traveling journey to find the family he never knew. In the fantastical world of 2037, hip-hoppin’ frogs and dogs that wear glasses are as common as talking dinosaurs. In an amazing twist, Lewis discovers that the fate of the future rests in his hands, but he can’t save it alone – he’ll need every bit of help he can get from the the Robinson family.

On viewing the DVD version of the film, I feel very much the same way I did about the film the first time I saw it. Not one of Disney’s classics, but a very good example of story, heart, and artistry come together.

Something I didn’t catch the in the theaters was how good the film’s soundtrack is. Danny Elfman comes through again with a score that really completes the experience.

The DVD comes with all the extras like deleted scenes, music videos, games, and documentary footage. All good stuff for the most part. I particuarly enjoyed the "Inventing The Robinsons" look at the film’s creation. The audio commentary is good, but essentially repeats most of what you learn in the documentaries. The special guest apperance is cute, but doesn’t add anything to the commentary. Which is too bad, because Disney has a history of cute but effective commentary tracks (I’m thinking of Brother Bear here).

What comes through on the DVD is Director Stephen Anderson’s love for the film. It may have required John Lasseter’s 11th hour intervention to get it into theaters, but Anderson’s vision is what shines through. So folks, it’s time to Meet the Robinsons once again!

DVD Bonus Features Include

• Deleted Scenes -Find out what scenes got cut and why with fascinating on-camera explanations by the director.
• Arriving in the Future
• Meeting Carl
• Bowler Hat Guy’s Redemption
• Keep Moving Forward: Inventions that Shaped the World -Meet real life inventors and visionary thinkers (including Walt Disney, himself) who changed the world and our lives forever.
• Music Videos:
• "Little Wonders" Rob Thomas music video
• "Kids of the Future" Jonas Brothers music video
• Family Function 5000: Family Tree Game – Lewis’ new invention organizes his enormous family tree so he can keep track of his family to be. Unfortunately, like most prototypes there are some bugs that haven’t been worked out and it may self-destruct! Help him before his family is erased forever.
• Inventing the Robinsons – Follow the development of the film from William Joyce’s original creations through the animation process and production.
• Audio Commentary by Director Stephen Anderson (with a special guest appearance)

Blu-ray Disc® Bonus Features

• All the bonus features available on DVD plus:
• Even More Deleted Scenes
• Bowler Hat Barrage! Game -Watch out! The Bowler Hats are trying to take over! Navigate Lewis’ time machine through armies of bowler hats to save the city of the future and fire through the ranks to reach the big boss hat at the end of each level.

Read the press release below the cut

MEET THE ROBINSONS – Journey to the future and meet the wildest assortment of characters imaginable in Meet the Robinsons, on DVD and Blu-ray Disc® October 23rd from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. This hilarious animated adventure for the whole family includes space age bonus features and games that will surely send you out of this world! Join a brilliant young inventor named Lewis as he sets off on a time-traveling journey to find the family he never knew.  In the fantastical world of 2037, hip-hoppin frogs and dogs that wear glasses are as common as talking dinosaurs. In an amazing twist, Lewis discovers that the fate of the future rests in his hands, but he can’t save it alone, he’ll need every bit of help he can get from the wonderfully wacky Robinson family, who help him learn to keep moving forward and never stop believing in himself.

Meet the Robinsons’ space age DVD bonus features include deleted scenes, “Keep Moving Forward: Inventions that Shaped the World”, Grammy Award winner Rob Thomas’s “Little Wonders” music video, “Kids of the Future” music video by the Jonas Brothers, “Family Function 5000: Family Tree Game”, “Inventing the Robinsons” and director Stephen Anderson’s audio commentary.

The Blu-ray Disc® edition of the film has even more amazing features: extra deleted scenes and an additional game “Bowler Hat Barrage!” Watch Out! The Bowler Hats are trying to take over! Navigate Lewis’ time machine through armies of bowler hats to save the city of the future, and fire through the ranks to reach the big boss hat at the end of each level.

Disney fans will not only marvel at Meet the Robinsons’ richly detailed, animated futuristic setting, but also get a hoot out of the many quirky characters. Wilbur’s bubbly mother Franny has developed a method for teaching frogs, such as ‘goodfella’ amphibian Frankie the Frog, to sing. When Frankie’s not belting out hits he’s a mafia don. And then there’s Tiny the Dinosaur. The T-Rex’s huge head and big heart more than make up for his cartoonishly small arms.

Daniel Hansen (“Stuart Little 2”) speaks for Lewis with Wesley Singerman (“7th Heaven”) voicing Wilbur. Other notable cast members include Laurie Metcalf (“Roseanne”) as the highly caffeinated science fair judge Dr. Krunklehorn and Academy Award ®-Nominated Angela Bassett (Best Actress “What’s Love Got to Do with It”) as compassionate orphanage housemother Mildred. Adam West (“Family Guy”) as Uncle Art and Tom Selleck (“Boston Legal”) as Cornelius round out the star-studded voice cast. Based on the book “A Day with Wilbur Robinson” by acclaimed author and illustrator William Joyce, Meet the Robinsons was directed by Stephen J. Anderson, who also voiced Bowler Hat Guy. Anderson is an experienced animator and storyboard artist, having worked on Disney’s “Brother Bear,” “Emperor’s New Groove” and “Tarzan”.