Brother Bear Movie
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608x348 | 614.57 MiB | divx | |
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Storyline
TAGLINES
This November, see through another's eyes, feel through another's heart, and discover the meaning of brotherhood.
Nature Calls.
The Moose Are Loose!
Welcome to a world where animals rule and the only human around... isn't human anymore.
Long ago, as the Earth was emerging from the Ice Age, there were three brothers. After a bear takes the life of the oldest brother, impulsive youngest brother Kenai kills the bear in revenge, only to be transformed into a bear himself. Denahi, the middle brother, comes upon this bear and, thinking it killed Kenai, vows revenge. Now brother hunts brother and Kenai's only hope for survival is to befriend his own worst enemy, a grizzly cub named Koda. Koda main goal is to show Kenai the real meaning of brotherhood.
| Joaquin Phoenix | Kenai |
| Jeremy Suarez | Koda |
| Jason Raize | Denahi |
| Rick Moranis | Rutt |
| Dave Thomas | Tuke |
| D.B. Sweeney | Sitka |
| Joan Copeland | Tanana |
| Michael Clarke Duncan | Tug |
| Harold Gould | Old Denahi |
| Paul Christie | Ram #1 |
| Daniel Mastrogiorgio | Ram #2 |
| Estelle Harris | Old Lady Bear |
| Greg Proops | Male Lover Bear |
| Pauley Perrette | Female Lover Bear |
| Darko Cesar | Foreign Croatian Bear |
| Aaron Blaise |
| Robert Walker |
6.50 out of 10 (6812 votes)
Visitor Reviews
An improbable gem
posted on 21 Jul 2009I didn't go out of my way to see this film, as it had already been pretty much disregarded by both the critics and the public. Shame on me. BROTHER BEAR has many strengths to recommend it, and I hope it eventually finds an audience on video.I'll admit a bias: I live in the Yukon Territory, and the story obviously takes place in next-door Alaska (with characters named "Sitka", "Kenai", and "Tanana", it's pretty obvious). Like many other Disney movies, it takes its inspiration from a traditional legend. Unlike many other Disney movies, this movie manages to remain respectful to the original legend.The messages are wonderful. That love is an important thing for a real man to learn. That "the spirits" need to be respected. That vengeance can have a terrible price. This movie manages to do it (mostly) without resorting to daffy sidekicks and sappy tugs at the heartstrings. Yes, there's Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas revisiting their "Bob and Doug Mackenzie" roles as the two moose, but I didn't find them jarring at all. The story works.So does the animation. This is a visually beautiful film. Yes, it's apparent to my (computer pro) eye that Disney's animation unit is making more use of computer techniques. Mostly, though, you see them used to wonderful effect, like making a realistic snowfall, or moving the point of view through a shot. The animation style is also very appropriate for the story. And as a northerner, I loved the many aurora shots; they looked spot-on.Not everything in BROTHER BEAR worked for me, unfortunately. Phil Collins' music for TARZAN was quite good, but it mostly falls flat here (except maybe for "On My Way"). A couple of numbers come close to the embarassingly bad category.Still, this is nowhere near enough for me to disregard this movie. I put it above THE LION KING (way above), probably a little ahead of TARZAN, and almost on the same upper-echelon with THE LITTLE MERMAID and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
Not top-form Disney, but decent at best.
posted on 01 Jul 2009My Take: Average yet enjoyable. If you look at the Disney portfolio, you'll find that the Mouse House has succeeded in so many other production that late efforts as this one fall far near the bottom. With their ALADDIN's and LION KING's, Disney's lat effort BROTHER BEAR doesn't compare. But it's not what's on the screen that's wrong, it's what's behind it. The animation, as usual, is another triumphant visual mastery. Despite getting a lot of help from computer animation, BROTHER BEAR is done the "old-fashioned" way of hand-drawn animation, the old paper-and-pencil way.What it lacks though is a truly captivating story and better drawn characters. Not that BROTHER BEAR has its own share of story and characters, they're just not as good as they should have been. Even with the addition of two hilarious bumbling moose, the film has very few memorable characters. The story is different and inventive, but it quickly devolves to a familiar trotting Disney adventure up until its finale. The elements are often predictable and, since it's far too short (running at a very short 82 minutes), it's almost easily forgettable. It's lack of truly memorable songs (Instead, songs by Phil Collins are added into the narrative, attempting to duplicate the success of TARZAN) and too many preachy morals (We are all family, killing a bear or any animal won't make you a man and who knows whatever the hell else).But lets not sum up BROTHER BEAR as a bad move for Disney! Although it isn't the enormously enjoyable adventure it promises, but it's pleasant and enjoyable enough in its own way. The animation is in pristine condition, and the voice casting pretty much brings these critters to life. Joaquin Pheonix has a lot of fun voicing the human-turned-into-a-bear Kenai, who is punished by the Great Spirits when he kills a bear to avenge the death of his brother. To restore his human self, Kenai, accompanied by charming but sometimes too noisy baby bear Koda (voiced by Jeremy Suarez), ventures across the American tundra riding at the back of Mammoths, racing through deadly geysers and chased by Kenai's vengeful brother, to reach the mountains of the Great Spirits, where the lights (Northern Lights) touch the earth. To provide comic relief, Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas reprising their Bob & Doug McKenzie roles as too bumbling moose, probably the more delightful characters in the movie.Despite its many glaring flaws, BROTHER BEAR is a decently entertaining and flawed entry in the Disney canon. It probably won't be considered a classic, but it's worth a look.Rating: ***1/2 out of 5.
One of Disney's masterpieces!
posted on 27 Jun 2009As a lifelong Disney fan, the theatrical trailer for Brother Bear intrigued me, seeing as Disney and other movie makers were going in the direction of computer animated films, like Finding Nemo and Shrek. My trip to the theaters the day of it's release was a day worth living. I left the theater with a profound sense of admiration for the geniuses that devised this wonderful world of comedy (appropriate for kids, but obvious to the more adult audience), action (some people die, but you don't necessarily see it happen, making it tolerable for kids), adventure (the classic Disney journey with life lessons learned) and magic (let's face it: it's Disney, for crying out loud).The story is that of Kenai, and Inuit boy who receives his totem, the bear which means "love" and discredits its value. After the death of one of his brothers, the killing of the bear he sees as responsible, and his subsequent transformation into a bear, Kenai is thrust into the northern wilderness. His traveling companion, a young bear cub named Koda, and a pair of hilarious moose-brothers make the long trek to the sacred mountain where the Northern Lights gather. When Kenai discovers his connection to Koda, he confesses to the young cub, driving him away.Kenai reaches the mountain, where he is confronted by his brother, who believes Kenai is the same bear from before, and tries to kill him. Kenai regains his human form in time to stop Koda from being slain, but chooses to remain with his "little brother" as a bear.The story is touching, the action gripping and the musical score outstanding (Phil Collins delivers yet another remarkable performance). Brother Bear is my absolute favorite Disney movie, and likely will be for the rest of my life. There is a sequel, but that's another story.
It was so good I would go see it again, oh yeah. I did.
posted on 17 Jun 2009The art work is wonderful. The music is great. The Characters are lovable. It is a good story about being careful and thinking before you act. Yes, it has a moral or a few. Yes, it may be politically correct. No, I do not agree with that are just because they are. This is a beautiful movie, not because of the message about huning. Just because it is a good movie. It is a movie to enjoy just as a good movie. Why do we have to look for hidden messages every time a movie comes out. I have already pre-ordered it so I can see it again, and again. It is everything that is good about animated movies. Disney is back. They had an excellent year even if some people are really too blind to see it.
Bearly Entertaining
posted on 05 Jun 2009BROTHER BEAR (2003) ** (VOICES OF : Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez, Jason Raize, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, D.B. Sweeney, Joan Copeland, Michael Clarke Duncan. Underwhelming animated Disney offering that basically recycles 'The Lion King' with bears, about a young Indian (Phoenix) whose stubbornness gets the better of him in seeking vengeance against a bear that was responsible in the death of his elder brother resulting in a cruel trick of fate by the gods when he is transmogrified into a bear himself to see the errors of his way. The only truly entertaining moments are provided by a pair of happy-go-lucky slacker Canadian moose in the form of Moranis and Thomas reprising their SCTV beer-guzzling McKenzie Brothers. A bit of a disappointment. (Dirs.: Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker)
BOR-ING!
posted on 12 May 2009This movie was really quite lame. I was bored from about 20 minutes into it, and after around 40 minutes, I decided to stop watching. If you haven't seen this film yet, don't bother. The story was poor, and the animation was very old fashioned. If I wanted to watch a movie with "traditional" animation, I would watch "The Lion King" - it's far better than this abysmal film. And as far as keeping the kids entertained, I feel this movie would bore them to tears. I'm surprised this was even shown in cinemas. It reeks of a tacky "straight to video" film. Predictable storyline, weak attempts at humour and tacky animation make this not even worth renting. If you do want to see it, I would suggest you wait until it is shown on television.2 out of 10.
Great animation, standard fair writing.
posted on 02 May 2009Brother Bear looked really promising, like maybe it would be the Disney animation to pull Disney out of the mediocre rut they've dug themselves into, but it's not. It's a cute movie with nice characters and some charming scenes, but overall the only thing extraordinary about it is the bright and lively animation which seems to be getting better and better as the Disney writing slips. Luckily this movie has just enough wit, humor and charm to stop it from being another made for video Disney release.Kenai (Joaquin Phoenix) is a Native American hunter in an unspecified time, but one that contained wholly mammoths. His brother is killed while fighting a bear, so Kenai exacts revenge upon the bear, killing it. His brother's spirit pulls him up in the sky and turns Kenai into a bear, which was apparently not surprising to his elder, who tells him he must go an adventure to become human again. He meets a cute little cub on his journeys named Koda (Jeremy Suarez) and runs into two comic relief moose quite often, Rutt and Tuke (Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas). Meanwhile, Kenai's other brother thinks that the bear murdered Kenai and he is out to kill the bear, which is now Kenai himself.This is own of those movies with the mild "in your shoes" message, saying not to be quick to judge unless you know what the other people are going through, or in this case bears. The animation was fantastic, and the use of computer effects fits in flawlessly with the animation. The characters are OK, nothing special. Even their voice over acting isn't special. Joaquin Phoenix doesn't bring much to the character, though Jeremy Suarez does a good job being cute as Koda. There were a few things I didn't like. I hated that every plot point was told through a montage scene, making no on screen verbal development, all of it was through non speaking montages. The Phil Collins music was good, not great, but I still wish it was a musical. Having Phil Collins sing what the characters are thinking is just annoying to me.Overall, this is a cute movie, but nothing really stands out making it great. It's just an average movie, with some good animation, not what you'd expect from Disney. They could've done better.My rating: ** 1/2 out of ****. 80 mins. Rated G.
Oscar?
posted on 30 Apr 2009It seems strange to me that Finding Nemo got an Oscar and Brother Bear didn't. Obviously FN was more advanced as far as animation techniques go, but it's characters and storyline were awful. BB's characters had a lot of in depth personality and the storyline was amazing (although it may have been a little hard for a young child to understand). I saw BB before FN and so I didn't really want to watch FN in case I found it better, but I forced myself to rent and watch it one night and I was bored solid watching it, the story just wasn't going anywhere and the characters were just plain boring. And when it got the Oscar I was totally shocked. I feel that the people who made BB have been cheated out of what should have been an Oscar for them. I now love BB even more and I am trying to get others to see BB, because most of the people who love FN didn't even bother going to see BB, which really angered me. SO in my honest opinion I believe that BB should have got the Oscar over FN, purely because of it's more adventurous storyline and better characters.
Typically Good Disney
posted on 24 Apr 2009I won't waste time expounding on the plot. As others have said, it's pretty much typical genre for the Disney crew, which is of course, not bad at all. Don't get me wrong there.As a child of the Hanna-Barbera heyday of lame cartoons, when I watch an animated film now, one of the things that has to really grab me is the care and craft that goes into the artwork. In that sense, this film is a definite winner. One of my favorite benchmarks for art is, oddly enough, Snow White. Look at the really great art in that film-- the look of the queen's castle (the detail in the blocks and windows) and especially the scene at the well-- the effects with the water. Now that is well done craft. So too is the art in this film. The motion of the water, the waterfalls, the stunning scenery. The Disney crew has always had the ability to take already beautiful scenes and make them into something that looks like it's from Faerie. There was some real care taken with this, and I doubt it was done with microprocessors. Kudos to the art department!!It was good the hear the "McKenzie Bros." back in action, eh? They certainly haven't lost it much from their SCTV days. There was enough comic relief there for us adults to stay awake.Summary: a really Good Disney film,**** of *****. Beauty, eh?
Don't fish have feelings? If not, why should we care about Nemo?
posted on 24 Apr 2009Since I've moved back home for the foreseeable future I've heard Phil Collins nearly every day. Why is that? Why does "In the Air Tonight" seem to have some permanent hold on the Philly metro region? I swear I've heard this unofficial them to RISKY BUSINESS at least a half-dozen times on the radio since I've been back. I'm not complaining, since Philly radio is far superior to the tuneless sludge NYC puts out on its FM stations.I never planned on ever seeing BROTHER BEAR, but nannying a two-year-old Disney disciple brought me to it. (Noah is a boy who is programmed to slur "Disney!" every time that logo appears on TV. Yeah, someone try to convince me the Mouse House isn't evil.) So, anyway, Noah is transfixed anytime a Pooh video is played, but after a week or so of constant Eeyore and Tigger and Piglet (which is too much for any sane adult to bear), I popped in, Lord forgive me, a recent Disney animated feature.I braced myself, but had no idea that Phil Collins contributed the majority of pop tracks. Slyly too, since the first voice I recognized on the soundtrack was Tina Turner - I sign of salvation that, alas, proved to be premature. What was Collins thinking? Anything besides the fat paycheck? Didn't Matt and Trey have the final word after the TARZAN/SOUTH PARK Oscar deathmatch? Sure, Phil received the award, but I know I'm not the only one who feels "Blame Canada" deserved it.Okay, I'm babbling. Back to BROTHER BEAR. Not really much to say about it except my predictable nitpicking. Like, let me see if I've got this straight: All animals but Man speak the same language? Bears understand what geese are saying, but Man understands neither? And the other big question: We're asked to sympathize with bears and other creatures of the forest, but bears have free reign over fish? Don't beings with fins have any say in this world? Yeah, these comments are random, shallow and incomplete. But, hey, isn't that an honest description of BROTHER BEAR?
Outstanding
posted on 20 Apr 2009Disney's penultimate traditionally animated feature proved to be one of its best. The film is loosely based on the mythology of the native people of the Pacific Northwest. It has many classic mythological elements such as transformations and journeys, both physical and spiritual. It is also unique among Disney films, in having no villain (at least in a tangible sense). The movie features great music by Phil Collins and beautiful animation. It also makes novel use of the movie screen by switching to a wider aspect ratio at a certain point in the story.The protagonist, the Inuit Kenai, learns the value of his totem, love, when he is transformed into a bear and becomes the traveling companion of the cub, Koda. The film also features the hilarious Canadian moose, Rutt and Tuke (Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas) for comic relief.I would count Brother Bear among my three favorite animated films (along with South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron). It's also great for the kids. 10/10
Brother Bear Warm & Fuzzy
posted on 18 Apr 2009On the surface, Disney's Brother Bear is a touching family film filled with adventure, humor, and likeable characters. Looking beyond the surface, you will also find a film resonating with themes of family, tradition, brotherhood, forgiveness, love and, most important, transformation. There is, of course, the literal transformation of the film's central character, Kenai (voiced by Joaquin Phoenix), into a bear but there is also the transformation of his heart, an awakening of his soul as he comes to a new level of understanding by walking in another's shoes – or, in this case paws! It is a theme that feels especially timely and a not so subtle reminder that judging others out of fear and hate is never as effective as an approach of love and understanding. One of the better films to come out of Disney studios in recent years, Brother Bear is wonderfully animated with lush painted backgrounds and 2- & 3-D drawings that hearken back to the pre-CG glory days. Directors Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker have assembled some of the best voices in the business to breath life into the characters. In addition to Phoenix, Brother Bear features the talents of D.B. Sweeney, Jeremy Suarez (TV's Bernie Mac), Jason Raize (Broadway's The Lion King), and Michael Clarke Duncan. Comic relief is hilariously provided by Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis who lend voice to a pair of Canadian Moose who sound suspiciously like Bob & Doug Mackenzie. Phil Collins contributes to the score and has penned a handful of rousing new songs performed for the film by Tina Turner, The Blind Boys of Alabama, and the Bulgarian Women's Choir. Brother Bear isn't likely to be dubbed an instant classic, but with its exciting story and wholesome messages, it is a fine addition to your family's home movie library.
Best Disney film yet!
posted on 31 Mar 2009***Spoilers*** "Brother Bear" is a heart-warming film about a impulsive boy (voice by Juaquin Phoenix, an excellent choice)who's's name is Kenai who's brother is killed while hunting a bear who took their fish. Kenai wants revenge, so he kills the bear, only to be turned into a bear himself. He eventually meets Koda(voice of Jeremy Suarez) a cute young bear cub. Koda is a funny little guy, but it's mostly Rutt and Tuke, two moose brothers, (voiced by Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas, respectively) that crack me up. Those moose are scared of almost everything, and that's why they are funny. There are three reasons why I love this movie: 1 & 2. Rutt and Tuke. They're the comedy relief. 3. Phil Collins music. I went to one of his concerts a while ago, and he sang for over 2.5 hours. Without these three things, it would literally stink. But all three are there, so it currently is #4.One more note. Normally, I hate foreign language songs. But the Bulgarian Women's Choir did a great job with "Transformation."My Score: 10/10.
Funny, well drawn, but derivative
posted on 03 Mar 2009Clearly an attempt by Disney to create another THE LION KING, this tells the tale of a young Inuit who must learn responsibility and love. Beautifully rendered, although the human sequences are no match for the animal sequences, and the three brothers who start the movie off are awfully whitebread-sounding for Inuits. A bit violent for small children, with not one but two disturbing deaths taking place within the first 20 minutes. A "spiritual" film, also in THE LION KING vein, and at times with the thunderous chanting and symphonic background music, you'd swear you're listening to THE LION KING soundtrack. Not a bad film, just not a great one. The moose brothers, played by those "MacKenzie Brothers" Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas, are funny but they are a poor man's Timon and Poomba, or whatever the heck the sidekicks' names were, from THE LION KING. Some nice extras on the DVD, including a series of faux outtakes and a pair of games, sure to delight the younger viewers.
Was good, should have been great
posted on 15 Feb 2009Brother Bear was good, but it should have been great. The basic story is wrapped around some beautiful, powerful messages, but the movie seems at times like it is apologizing for that when it should be trumpeting it.There are several characters (including two featured heavily in the trailers) that bring nothing to the film. To give credit where it is due, these characters delivered a few good jokes. But this is a story that deserves to be powerfully roared, and the comic relief is only distracting.And with all due respect to Phil Collins, the music in this movie is overdone. The songs are good, and for the most part they are relevant. But not every dialog-free moment needs to be filled with music. Silence can have a much greater impact when it is used to force an audience to feel a moment. The music could have been blended to the film much better, as in most of Ghibli's films.Event without cutting some of the unnecessary scenes, at less than 90 minutes there was plenty of room in this movie for some much needed character development. It seems like Disney tried to use the music to tell parts of the story that might have been more powerfully told had they been simply shown.The artwork gets a bit better grade than the rest of the movie. The Pacific Northwest is breathtaking, and Disney have done a fairly good job of doing it justice. It's not quite up to the standards of Mononoke Hime, for example, but--particularly at a time when it seems like all animation is headed for the 3d computer style--I think it's worth complementing some well done, warm and expressive animation. The animation of expressions, in particular, is top-notch; quite a lot in this film is communicated very well by that alone.Many of you with children will undoubtedly go see this because it is Disney. A few more like me will see it because we want the great story underneath so badly we'll suffer through the rest to get it. But please, Disney, next time don't tell a story calculated to appeal to the broadest audience or to offend the least possible number of people. Tell a story that needs to be told, and tell it well and loudly for the sheer joy of doing so.
A CLASSIC, BACK TO OLD DISNEY MAGIC!
posted on 09 Feb 2009I went into this film not expecting alot, and I ended up leaving in amazement. This has to be one of the finest classics Disney has produced, it has all of the elements of anything Walt did when he was alive and he would surely be proud. You will laugh, you will cry (if you have any heart at all).The animation is hand-drawn and I might add AWESOME. Take your kids, boyfriends and girlfriends, and parents, because this movie is 10 stars out of 10.
If only it had trusted itself.
posted on 07 Feb 2009The good news is that "Brother Bear" doesn't truly belong in the same Disney shallows as the likes of "Home on the Range," "Dinosaur" and "Pocahontas" - it keeps any "Once Upon A Forest"-type eco-smugness at bay for the most part, and the movie's good intentions are clear throughout. The bad news is that it never fully builds on the promise it occasionally shows, so it ultimately doesn't rank with "Lilo & Stitch" either.The story of a Native American lad who's transformed into a bear so he can get an idea of love towards all things (well, something like that), it's hard to resist feeling that the "Sesame Street" cartoon where a guy is turned into a tree for a year said in a minute or two what it takes this movie close to an hour-and-a-half to say, especially given that the script gives the movie a horribly uneven tone; when it deals with the human side of the equation and then shifts to the unarguably cuter (and cutesy-er) animal side, the effect is like watching two different movies edited together, with the movie being strongest when it centres on the brothers who launch the plot. Unfortunately the House of Mouse couldn't resist adding in a brace of songs from Phil Collins and Tina Turner, which we won't talk about further; the link between our hero-as-a-bear and the ursine traveling companion he picks up is also signposted a few moments before it's revealed, ruining what should have been one of the most powerful moments.No one can call this movie illiberal, for sure, and it sports plenty of eye-catching animation; but the story's too flawed and the characters too dreary (save the genuinely funny moose) for "Brother Bear" to be anything other than a watchable missed opportunity... although that said, the ending is a genuine surprise, considering.
Cute enough, but could have been better
posted on 16 Aug 2009On it's own merits, "Brother Bear" is a sweet movie. Still, it's not a Disney classic. I've always liked those Disney films that's set on the wilds, but "Brother Bear" is the first one that is in some ways flawed (if you don't count those who think "Pocahontas" suffer the same internal problems).The first five minutes of the film had a classical Disney-feel to it, but it didn't last long. Later on this story presents illogical conclusions. Come on; Do you honestly think that a bear cub (or a child for that matter) would immediately forgive the murder of his mother and accepting him as his brother? That's a theme that's never discussed in the movie.Disney has always handled serious issues in their films and "Brother Bear" is no exception, who tackles both prejudices and hate in a heavy-handed way. Kenai, brilliantly voice by Joaquin Phoenix, is the least sympathetic Disney hero I can remember. If the bear actually had killed Kenai's brother, Sikta (which she didn't), then it would be more easy to feel compassion for Kenai. OK, enough complain. The animation is good, not on the level of "Bambi", "Beauty and the Beast", etc, but quite good. The film starts out with a Grey-colored palette, but then becomes more lighter and greener. The score of Mark Mancina is also quite good. Phil Collins songs are... not bad, but not great neither. His songs for "Tarzan" were no doubt better (his melodic drum-music was more suitable for an African jungle setting than to this story). As for the characters - I found them indifferent. They aren't annoying, but not likable neither. The only character I liked were Denahi, he was funny and had layers.What's good about "Brother Bear" is the action/fast paced sequences, and the chemistry between Koda and Kenai is well portrayed, despite the flaws of the story. And there are some funny moments that makes you chuckle and some scenes with visual, cinematic quality.As a whole, "Brother Bear" isn't enough compelling. But cute enough on it's own merits.