BROTHER BEAR (Theatrical Release USA 2003)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.9|5.0 Starsììì

Brother Bear runs on a ‘protect and save wildlife/plant life’ theme. It’s a fair to middling animated film for children.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Kenai (voice Joaquin Phoenix), the youngest of three brothers, Sitka (voice D.B. Sweeney), the oldest, and Denahi (voice Jason Raize), the middle brother, play, ride canoes, and catch fish together. The two eldest brothers catch a basket full of salmon and then leave to go to a ceremony. Kenai ties the basket to a tree and hurries to go to the ceremony, too. He notices that the basket has fallen to the ground, but follows after his older brothers anyway. At the ceremony Kenai, the youngest brother, is nominated as the Bear of Love. When the brothers come back to the salmon basket, it is missing. Kenai goes after the basket and gets into a duel with a bear. His brothers come to help, but in the process the oldest brother attempts to save the two youngest brothers by taking his spear and breaking the mountain ice around himself and the bear. The bear and older brother cascade to the river below. The bear makes it out of the freezing water, but the oldest brother does not surface. When the two younger brothers only find their older brother’s skin coat, Kenai wants revenge and, against his middle brother’s advice, goes after the bear. He provokes the bear into another duel and the story is off and running.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Directors Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producer Chuck Williams for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Koda (Jeremy Suarez), Narrator (Harold Gould), Tanana (Joan Copeland), Rutt the Moose (Rick Moranis), and Tuke the Moose (Dave Thomas).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It works for a young audience. It is a message feature, not made for pure entertainment.

Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers