Meet the Robinsons
Lewis an orphan wants to see what his mother looked like. So he invents a machine that looks through your brain so you can see your memories. But this weird kid says he's from the future and warns him about a guy in a bowler hat. The bowler hat guy messes with his invention and it fails. He decides that he's a failure and no one wants him. But the kid that warned him about the guy is here on a mission to find the bowler hat guy that wants to destroy Lewis. To prove he's from the future he takes Lewis to the future. But the time machine breaks and he's stuck in the future until he fixes it. In the meantime he spends quality time with the family. But the bowler hat guy is about to alter time and it's up to Lewis to save the future.
Working with a massive budget of $150.0M, the film achieved a steady performer with $169.3M in global revenue (+13% profit margin).
1 win & 10 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Meet the Robinsons (2007) exhibits meticulously timed story structure, characteristic of Stephen J. Anderson's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 35 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.9, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Lewis, a 12-year-old orphan inventor, works alone in his room at night on his memory scanner invention, unable to sleep. His compulsive inventing keeps potential adoptive parents away, and he remains stuck in the orphanage.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when At the science fair, the memory scanner is sabotaged by Bowler Hat Guy and his robotic bowler hat DOR-15. The invention explodes in front of the science fair judge, destroying Lewis's last chance at adoption and his dream of finding his mother.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Lewis makes the active choice to get into Wilbur's time machine and travel to the future. Despite his fears and doubts, he commits to the adventure, leaving behind his present-day world and entering the unknown future., moving from reaction to action.
At 48 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Lewis discovers that Wilbur has been lying to him about helping find his mom. He's actually been using Lewis to fix the time machine. Lewis feels betrayed and the family discovers he's not really Wilbur's friend. The stakes raise as Lewis learns Bowler Hat Guy has stolen the memory scanner and plans to ruin the future., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 70 minutes (73% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Lewis discovers the devastating truth: Bowler Hat Guy is Goob, his orphanage roommate, twisted by bitterness over one failure. Worse, Lewis himself is Cornelius Robinson - Wilbur's father. By helping Goob and DOR-15, Lewis has destroyed his own future family. Everything he's come to love will cease to exist because of his invention., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 75 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Lewis has a breakthrough realization: failure is part of success. He finally understands what Mildred and the Robinsons have been teaching him. He chooses to confront DOR-15, declare "I am a inventor," and takes ownership of both his failures and his potential. He knows what he must do to fix everything., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Meet the Robinsons's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Meet the Robinsons against these established plot points, we can identify how Stephen J. Anderson utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Meet the Robinsons within the animation genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional animation films include The Bad Guys, The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie and Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel I. Presage Flower.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Lewis, a 12-year-old orphan inventor, works alone in his room at night on his memory scanner invention, unable to sleep. His compulsive inventing keeps potential adoptive parents away, and he remains stuck in the orphanage.
Theme
Mildred, the orphanage director, tells Lewis: "From failing you learn. From success... not so much." She encourages him despite another failed adoption, introducing the central theme of learning from failure and moving forward.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Lewis's world: his obsession with finding his birth mother through the memory scanner, his roommate Goob's resentment over missed sleep and a lost baseball game, the science fair as his last chance for adoption, and the mysterious Bowler Hat Guy watching from the shadows.
Disruption
At the science fair, the memory scanner is sabotaged by Bowler Hat Guy and his robotic bowler hat DOR-15. The invention explodes in front of the science fair judge, destroying Lewis's last chance at adoption and his dream of finding his mother.
Resistance
Lewis meets Wilbur Robinson, a mysterious boy who claims to be a time cop from the future. Lewis is initially resistant and skeptical. Wilbur tries to convince Lewis to help him track down Bowler Hat Guy, promising to help Lewis find his mother if he cooperates. Lewis debates whether to trust this strange kid.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Lewis makes the active choice to get into Wilbur's time machine and travel to the future. Despite his fears and doubts, he commits to the adventure, leaving behind his present-day world and entering the unknown future.
Mirror World
Lewis meets the Robinson family for the first time - a chaotic, loving, eccentric family who embrace failure and celebrate trying. They represent everything Lewis lacks: acceptance, belonging, and the freedom to fail. Wilbur introduces Lewis as a friend, hiding his true identity.
Premise
Lewis explores the future world and the Robinson household. He experiences the family's motto "keep moving forward" in action, participates in their wild activities, helps fix Cousin Art's pizza delivery system, and begins to feel what it's like to belong to a family. Meanwhile, Bowler Hat Guy steals the memory scanner.
Midpoint
Lewis discovers that Wilbur has been lying to him about helping find his mom. He's actually been using Lewis to fix the time machine. Lewis feels betrayed and the family discovers he's not really Wilbur's friend. The stakes raise as Lewis learns Bowler Hat Guy has stolen the memory scanner and plans to ruin the future.
Opposition
Lewis and Wilbur must work together to stop Bowler Hat Guy from changing the past. They discover an alternate future where DOR-15 has taken over the world. The pressure intensifies as they realize the stakes aren't just personal - the entire timeline is at risk. Lewis must confront his past failure and repair the memory scanner.
Collapse
Lewis discovers the devastating truth: Bowler Hat Guy is Goob, his orphanage roommate, twisted by bitterness over one failure. Worse, Lewis himself is Cornelius Robinson - Wilbur's father. By helping Goob and DOR-15, Lewis has destroyed his own future family. Everything he's come to love will cease to exist because of his invention.
Crisis
Lewis sits in darkness with the weight of his failure. He must process that his invention caused this disaster, that Goob's life was ruined partly because of him, and that he has the power to erase everyone he's come to love. He contemplates giving up on inventing entirely.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Lewis has a breakthrough realization: failure is part of success. He finally understands what Mildred and the Robinsons have been teaching him. He chooses to confront DOR-15, declare "I am a inventor," and takes ownership of both his failures and his potential. He knows what he must do to fix everything.
Synthesis
Lewis defeats DOR-15 by revealing her to the past version of himself who rejects her, causing her to never be used. He helps Goob let go of his bitterness and return to his own time. Lewis says goodbye to the Robinson family, understanding he must let them go. He returns to the science fair moment and succeeds. Cornelius shows him a glimpse of his birth mother but Lewis chooses not to meet her, accepting the past.
Transformation
Lewis stands in the same orphanage room as the Status Quo, but transformed. He's no longer obsessed with the past or finding his mother. He looks at a drawing of his future family with Wilbur and smiles, now focused on moving forward. The Robinsons' motto has become his own: "Keep moving forward."