Viewers looking for the perfect family film should seriously consider Mr. Peabody & Sherman. The 3D animated feature focuses on Mr. Peabody (Ty Burrell), the most unusual of dogs. From the time he was born he had the ability to talk -- and perhaps a little too much. An intellectual from birth, Mr. Peabody often uses sarcasm, which resulted in at least one potential owner spurning him for it. As an adult, he became a skilled inventor. Perhaps you have have heard of Zumba? Yes, that was his idea. However, it's Mr. Peabody’s latest invention, a time machine called the WABAC (Read Way Back), that will become his biggest nightmare.

These days Mr. Peabody is a reluctant celebrity. He’s the first dog allowed to adopt a human baby. The child, now 7 years old, is named Sherman (Max Charles). Mr. Peabody has sheltered Sherman from the real world all this time. But Sherman must now enter kindergarten, so Mr. Peabody can no longer protect him from the outside world. Sherman seems miles ahead of his classmates intellectually due to the WABAC and watching history unfold in person.

Soon a feud develops between Sherman and a classmate named Penny (Ariel Winter), a real brat. She relentlessly harasses Sherman because he corrected her in history class regarding George Washington and the cherry tree. She finally makes Sherman snap, and he bites her after being compared to Mr. Peabody, a dog.  This doesn't bode well, because Mrs. Grunion (Allison Janney), a social worker, believes Sherman learned this behavior from Mr. Peabody. She can strip him of Sherman's custody if an investigation and house visit don’t go well. That’s why Mr. Peabody sets up a meeting with Penny and her parents (Stephen Colbert and Leslie Mann) that will end around the time Mrs. Grunion shows up. He hopes if the parents see eye to eye and their children make up, there will be no more issues.

When questioned by Penny about his knowledge of Washington, Sherman does the one thing Mr. Peabody told him not to and starts talking about the WABAC. Once Penny knows of the time machine, she places pressure on Sherman to take it out for a spin. Now she's trapped in Ancient Eygpt and flat out refusing to return. This sets off a madcap adventure.

Craig Wright's screenplay comes across as intelligent, humorous, and well crafted. I was astonished to find out that this is his first feature. I love how he gives kids glimpses of what was supposed to occur in history and how these characters could alter it.

Scenes pertaining to King Tut plus extensive sequences with Leonardo Da Vinci -- including his frustrations behind a certain famous painting -- made me chuckle. I also liked the jokes clearly meant for adults that will draw them into the story as well. Director Rob Minkoff, perhaps best known for his adaptation of Stuart Little, provides solid and fast-paced direction throughout. Adults will recognize Mr. Peabody and Sherman from the Rocky and Bullwinkle series where Mr. Peabody and Sherman had brief segments pertaining to history.

(Released by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and rated “PG” for some mild action and brief rude humor.)