Mr Peabody & Sherman, Cinemas across London

Mr Peabody & Sherman is a new film adaptation of the hilarious 1950s and 1960s cartoon shorts, Peabody's Improbable History. For those unfamiliar with the original cartoons, they are, in true vintage cartoon fashion, completely whimsical and wonderfully nonsensical. They follow the exploits of Mr Peabody, the world's greatest genius, and his “boy”, Sherman. Using Mr Peabody's time machine, the WABAC, they travel back in time together and meet prominent historical figures, from Confucius and Schubert to Florence Nightingale and The First Caveman. Oh, and Mr Peabody just happens to be a dog. 

But although this is a great premise for five-minute cartoons, there’s perhaps not enough in the original to hold together a feature-length film. However, Mr Peabody & Sherman does a good job of building on and expanding the original cartoon’s fanciful premise, as well as giving it a 3D, computer-animated finish. While retaining the time-travelling conceit, the film has more emotional interest and the relationships between the characters are fleshed out more fully. In particular, Sherman is no longer just a random small boy, he is Mr Peabody's adopted son, and a prominent theme in the film is about Mr Peabody learning what it takes to be a father. 

It’s the latest film from DreamWorks Animation – the creators of Madagascar and Shrek – so if you’re looking for easygoing fun and honest-to-goodness entertainment, then Mr Peabody & Sherman is a good bet. And, of course, it's entirely family friendly. What a jolly way to bring in the new year. 

Mr Peabody & Sherman is released in the UK on February 7th.