Clever dog…

Hands up if you can name a kids’ film that contains an image showing disembowelling? Head to the cinema to see Mr. Peabody & Sherman and that’s just one of the treats you’ll be rewarded with.

From the second Sherman replaces the kid sitting in the moon in the DreamWorks logo, you know the animators have poured a lot of heart, soul and fun into this animated adventure. The story of a genius dog who adopts a boy and builds a time machine to teach him about history is – naturally – packed with fun references from the past.

From disturbing facts about Egyptian life to 300-style slow-mo battle sequences, the film never stands still long enough to become dull – as the silence at a screening filled with children proved.

Ty Burrell (the dad from Modern Family) brings canine Mr Peabody to rousing life, playing the character like Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock but without the insanity. This kind of 3D art has also come on in leaps and bounds – check out the individual strands in Sherman’s hair if you don’t believe us, while a flight around Florence is a true highlight.

It all adds up to deliver an enchanting and amusing sci-fi romp.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman opens in UK and US cinemas on 7 February 2014.