Soundtrack Review: Meet the Robinsons

By Jeff Swindoll Apr 1, 2007, 14:13 GMT

It is interesting that a movie about the future seems to invoke music from the distant past. The music has an appeal that transcends time (and space for that matter) however.

Lewis is a 12-year-old orphan inventor that is whisked away to the future by Wilbur Robinson and has an adventure with Wilbur’s family of wacky inventors.  Based on the children’s book by William Joyce, Meet the Robinsons is the Disney Corporations attempt to produce a hit of their own that doesn’t have “Pixar” in the opening credits. 

But I come here not to talk about the soundtrack and not the movie.  Composer Danny Elfman contributes his usual solid work to ten of the CD’s eighteen tracks.  His music has that signature bouncy feel and ‘Pop Quiz and the Time Machine Montage’ sounded sorta like a variation of his work on Mars Attacks to me. 

Artists who contribute to the eight other tracks include Rufus Wainwright, Rob Thomas, The All-American Rejects, Jamie Cullum, They Might Be Giants, and the Jonas Brothers.  All of them have the same upbeat feel and will have your toes tapping.

“Where is Your Heart At?” by Jamie Cullum has a big band/1940s feel and “Give Me the Simple Life” by Cullum has a jazzy/1940s feel that I found most pleasing in both of them. It is interesting that a movie about the future seems to invoke music from the distant past. 

The music has an appeal that transcends time (and space for that matter) however.  “The Future has Arrived” by the All-American Rejects also is very upbeat and was another favorite of mine.  Quite a nice, upbeat soundtrack that’s sure to please fans of the film as well as those that haven’t seen the movie.

‘Meet the Robinsons’ is now available at Amazon. Visit the soundtrack database for more information and a complete track listing.