Metacritic reviews

It’s sweet-natured and amusing, with a story to captivate kids; yet the script has enough witty touches to keep adults laughing too.

The spirit of the thing – the way it champions intellectual curiosity and critical thinking – warmed this nerd’s heart tremendously.

A pleasant, polished, but somewhat by-the-numbers effort.

The narrative’s time-travel element allows for plenty of fluffy, fleet-footed action.

There’s a good-hearted father and son tale at the heart of the madness here, but the surroundings are sometimes a little too silly for true greatness.

It's a headspinningly wacky premise, and it takes a little while for the audience to get up to speed, but once this is achieved, there's an awful lot of unexpected fun to be had, boasting zany adventures with various historical figures.

Despite top-notch visuals and versatile voice-work from Ty Burrell’s (Modern Family) doting doggy dad and Alison Janney’s monstrous social worker, it lacks the "Up"-style warmth to be best in show.

Unlike the whimsical, slapstick-driven shorts on which it’s based, this feature-length adaptation adds an obligatory emotional arc that feels at odds with the zany spirit of historical time-travel tales.

The film respects its cartoon roots, but never its audience.

This feature-length Mr Peabody and Sherman is by no means unbearable: there are a few decent gags, and the episodic plot just about manages to hold the interest. But there’s little here for any but the most easy-to-please youngsters.