Brother Bear

'Brother Bear'is a very touching movie. It's all about brotherhood and the need for giving into a relationship.Kenai is given the totem of the 'bear of love' and he is not satisfied with it because he thinks that there are better things a man can do than love.Through his adventures he realises that love is not only about being sentimental but actually being there for someone who needs you. This movie is funny and the music is great!I would gladly watch it again!

Pure pap. Technically striking, but so what? Only reason I bought the DVD is because Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis do the running commentary in character, and even that was below par for these comics talent. For all who adore this movie and disagree with my review I will say this, I am slightly biased as I am offended right off the bat at the banality of the music in any Disney movie that uses the homogonous, middle of the road mediocrity of Phil Collins or Elton John. Disney used to get hip music from the likes of Phil Harris and Luis Prima and to sink so low on the scale is apalling to me. At least their cousins ofver at Pixar have the good sensibilities to work with folks like Randy Newman.

In the Disney-bear-movie sweepstakes, at least "Brother Bear" is miles ahead of 2002's fiasco "The Country Bears." Still, it's a pity Hanna-Barbera didn't make this movie. After a few dozen pronouncements about the wise spirit of Mother Nature, you might find yourself waiting for Yogi and Boo-Boo to come along and goose up the pace a bit. In the latest of Disney's ongoing efforts to rile minorities, "Brother Bear" rips off Native Americans in best "Pocahontas" style. One in a trio of uppity brothers is accidentally sent to his death by a nasty bear. And the middle brother, feisty Kenai (voiced by Joaquin Phoenix), starts egging the bear on in order to duel with him. I know from nothing about nature, but I learned long ago not to get macho on an animal that can behead you with one swipe of his paw. Wouldn't such a lesson be second nature to a Native American? Kenai has at it with the grizzly, though, and he even wins. But then the Spirits turn Kenai into a bear, so that he can discover what it's like to be an oppressed minority (because Native Americans just haven't grasped that concept yet, right?). When it comes to humility lessons for macho men, I have to say that Dustin Hoffman's in "Tootsie" was far more satisfying. The movie has its worthwhile moments. The scene where Kenai-as-bear finally realizes the gravity of the situation he has caused is nicely done. And the smartest thing the movie's makers did was hire "Second City TV" vets Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas to reprise their dumb-Canadian shtick, embodied here in a pair of very dim moose. On the debit side, there's Phil Collins' "Tarzan"-retread songs about the joy of being one with nature (though I don't think we'll be seeing Collins move into a log cabin while he's on the Disney payroll). And though the movie is nicely animated for the most part, it oozes a lot of unnecessary red. Woods, sky, fresh salmon--much of the movie seems ominously scarlet, as though the animation got an e.Coli infection. After some of Disney's recent non-starters, "Brother Bear" is at least a step in the right direction, though "Finding Nemo" made a lot of the same points about nature and was more entertaining in the bargain.

This is a good production by Disney, which includes all the features that typical Disney productions do. The characters are all superb and the animation is great, as expected. The music is -once again- delightful. Phill Collins seems to be doing a great job for cartoon soundtracks (having in mind his previous work with Disney, in 'Hercules' and 'Tarzan'). The story is pretty interesting, even though it reaches some 'dangerous' concepts of life after death. Some scenes can be considered as a little violent for a cartoon movie. This production can be described as a 'children movie for adults'.

Very well done. The story flows well. Good characterization. The McKenzie Brothers moose are hilarious. One of Disney's best for sure.