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Brother Bear (Spanish)
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by Walt Disney Video
Sales Rank: 34288
Price: $24.99
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<I>Brother Bear</I> has a dramatic story--after he kills a bear, a young hunter named Kenai (voiced by Joaquin Phoenix, <I>Gladiator</I>) in prehistoric North America is turned into a bear himself and hunted by his own brother--but the animated movie's tone is more earnest and warm than tragic, focusing on the unfolding relationship between Kenai and an orphaned bear cub named Koda (voiced by Jeremy Suarez). However, it's often the comic supporting characters who prove the most popular, and a pair of moose voiced by Rick Moranis and Doug Thomas in their McKenzie brothers/Canadian dude mode (from <I>SCTV</I> and the movie <I>Strange Brew</I>) will win many fans. The songs by Phil Collins are typically negligible, but the hand-drawn animation is lush (occasional flashes of computer-generated animation clash with the movie's overall look). Kids will also enjoy the mammoths; no sabre-toothed tigers, unfortunately. <I>--Bret Fetzer</I>
Viewer Reviews
I've read the more negative reviews to this movie and I'd have to say I don't agree with them. While Brother Bear is obviously not quite on par with Classic Disney movies like Beauty and the Beast or the Lion King, which are the two it seems most often compared to, it is a cute movie in its own right. I hadn't seen this movie in a very long time, and I just recently re-watched it while babysitting two of my younger cousins. I didn't remember much about it, except that I'd seen it for the first time when I was twelve and loved it. I'm now seventeen, so this review will be a bit more from an adult perspective.
I feel I should first address the issue of death in this movie, as that seems to be the most controversial issue. I showed the movie to two of my cousins, an eight year old boy and a six year old girl, and both of them were perfectly okay with it. Honestly I feel this movie goes about portraying death in a way that is sensitive to impressionable young children. It shows the characters who die living on as spirits, and conveys the message that when our loved ones die, they don't completely leave us. As for the spirits, they don't really present a religious issue. My entire family is Catholic and we had no problem with it. It seems to me that smaller kids wouldn't actually register that it's another religion, as the movie does not outright state anything that would denote anyone's faith. As for adults, I'm pretty sure they'll just realize the religion goes with the culture the movie is trying to portray.
As for the actual movie, I found it enjoyable to watch and my cousins liked it as well. True, some of the jokes and dialogue are a bit juvenile, such as Denahi telling Kenai he should have recieved "the totem of pinheads." At such moments my cousins laughed and I simply rolled my eyes. Still, since it is a cartoon and meant to appeal to children I figure we can all let that slide. Besides, the movie has humor that can appeal to adults as well, i.e. the beloved duo of Rutt and Tuke. Other than that the story has good messages about brotherhood, the sanctity of life and seeing things from another's perspective.
To those who believed the movie was saying that animals are better than us, that's not the impression I got at all. Kenai is transformed because he killed the bear. Yes the actual act of killing was done in self defense, but he only reached that point from his original malicious intentions. The bear did not go after Kenai in cold blood, she was protecting her cub, a natural animal instinct. Kenai actually provoked this by throwing a rock at the bear, which was walking in an opposite direction. His actions were uncalled for and done with no other intention but to maliciously kill another living thing. The point of the transformation was for Sitka to show Kenai that the bear he killed was a living, feeling being that had a child of her own, not just a vicious monster with no intent but to destroy. The movie's purpose was to show that if we don't properly understand something we can grow to hate it. At least that's the impression I got.
All in all, the point I'm trying to make from this is that though this movie may not be for everyone, you should probably give it a try before you cast it aside. It may not be one of the best Disney movies made, but in my opinion it has some merit and is worth watching.
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Brother Bear (Spanish)
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Last Modified : 1-7-2009
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