Disney is home to a variety of animated movies, though not all of them have had the same level of success, and there’s one underrated movie that, after almost 20 years, deserves a sequel. Disney has rightfully earned a place in animation history and quickly positioned itself as the biggest animation studio. The Mouse House is now synonymous with high-quality animated movies, as well as Princess movies and adaptations of fairy tales and children’s stories, and falling into the latter category is the 2007 movie Meet the Robinsons.
Directed by Stephen Anderson and loosely based on the 1990 children’s book A Day with Wilbur Robinson, Meet the Robinsons follows Lewis (voiced by Jordan Fey and Daniel Hansen), an orphaned boy genius and inventor whose eccentricity and failed inventions often scare off prospective parents. One day, he meets Wilbur Robinson (Wesley Singerman), a young time-traveler who takes him many years into the future so they can stop a mysterious villain from changing Lewis’ fate and thus the future. Despite getting positive reviews from critics, Meet the Robinsons never got a sequel, even though it deserved it.
Meet The Robinsons Was Too Good Not To Have A Sequel
Meet The Robinsons Is Painfully Underrated
Meet the Robinsons has the classic elements of a Disney movie in terms of being a story about family with fantasy and adventure elements, but it has some twists that add emotional depth. Amid the time-traveling and the efforts to stop the villain known as the Bowler Hat Guy, Meet the Robinsons reveals a family connection between its two leads, showing Lewis that there’s hope for him in both his career in science and in his search for a loving family. On top of that, Bowler Hat Guy is also linked to Lewis, making it possible for the latter to change the future for the better.
Unfortunately, Meet the Robinsons didn’t get the attention it deserved, and despite getting positive reviews from critics, it has a 68% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Although this grants it a “fresh” certification, Meet the Robinsons is one of the most underrated Disney movies of the 2000s, even though it was praised for its innovative story, emotional depth, twists, and charming characters. The adventures of Lewis both in the past and future, as well as those of Wilbur, give more than enough material for a sequel, but this never came to be.
Meet The Robinsons 2 Reportedly Almost Happened (Why It Didn’t)
No More Time-Travel Adventures With Lewis & Wilbur
Just like Disney is known for high-quality animation and movies, it’s also known for lower quality direct-to-video sequels to some of its best movies. These not-so-good sequels were brought by the now defunct Disneytoon Studios, which focused on direct-to-video movies and a couple of theatrical animated features. Disneytoon Studios’ first movie was DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp, released theatrically in 1990, followed by its first direct-to-video sequel, The Return of Jafar, in 1994. The studios’ final movie was Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverEast, in 2015.
Lᴀsseter, serving as chief creative officer, canceled all movies in production and development at Disneytoon. Among them was a sequel to Meet the Robinsons reportedly тιтled Meet the Robinsons 2: First Date.
In 2006, following Disney’s acquisition of Pixar, John Lᴀsseter expressed his dislike towards the sequels and prequels produced by Disneytoon. After discussions over the focus of the studio and its future after some complicated productions, Lᴀsseter, serving as chief creative officer, canceled all movies in production and development at Disneytoon. Among them was a sequel to Meet the Robinsons reportedly тιтled Meet the Robinsons 2: First Date (via Jim Hill Media).
Plot details of the reportedly planned sequel to Meet the Robinsons are unknown, but judging by the тιтle, it might have been about how Lewis and Franny met, as well as what their first date was like – or, it could have been focused on Wilbur’s first date. Ultimately, all plans for a potential sequel to Meet the Robinsons ended along with Disneytoon Studios.
Why Meet The Robinsons Not Getting A Sequel Might’ve Been A Good Thing
Meet The Robinsons Is Better This Way
While there are some gems among the sequels produced by Disneytoon Studios, the studio never stood out for its quality, neither in narrative nor animation. With that in mind, a Meet the Robinsons sequel by Disneytoon Studios might not have been the best idea. Despite its strengths, many critics weren’t fully on board with the animation style of Meet the Robinsons, and a Disneytoon sequel wouldn’t have been exactly an improvement on that. In terms of story, the sequel might have been fun, but it’s hard to say if it could have matched the depth of the first movie.
As mentioned above, Meet the Robinsons is already an underrated Disney movie, and a bad sequel would have sunk it even more and kept it from being appreciated by a wider audience years after its release. In the end, Meet the Robinsons is better off as a solo movie, and one with surprising emotional depth that has made more than one cry.
Source: Jim Hill Media.
