Brother Bear (2-Disc Special Edition) | Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez

Brother Bear (2-Disc Special Edition) | Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez | Surprisingly touching...!

DVDs:

Brother Bear (2-Di...

	Brother Bear (2-Disc Special Edition) Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez Walt Disney Video, 2004 average customer review:based on 215 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Great movie....

It is a great story! I have two sons and the movie is about brothers; how they tease, how they stand up for another and how they grow up.

Surprisingly touching...!

For the first time in, oh, I don't know how many years, Disney managed to once again deliver a movie that from start to finish is a delight. Released after "Treasure Planet" (2002), Brother Bear is a wonderful film that beautifully blends a great original story, characters and music, carefully crafted together with a working balance between drama and comedy, together with stunning visuals and lively animation. No Disney animated film had managed to do this since "Tarzan" (1999), or perhaps even "The Lion King" (1994). A financial success, "Brother Bear" saw rather mixed reviews from critics; the fact that the film was released during a time in which Disney animation seems to be facing hard years might have had something to do with that. To me, "Brother Bear" brought hope that Disney will one day be able to return to deliver masterpieces like those from the golden ages, "Bambi" (1942), "Lady and the Tramp" (1955) or "The Rescuers" (1977) to name a few.

"Brother Bear" tells the story of Kenai and his two brothers; the story takes place long, long ago in North America. On the day in which he is to become a man, Kenai receives the token that is to guide him through life: the bear of love. Kenai is upset, for he believes that bears have no feelings, that they're savage creatures who'll look for any excuse to harm, hunt and even kill a human. He is jealous of the tokens given to his older brothers, the eagle of guidance for the eldest, Sitka and the wolf of wisdom for the middle brother, Denahi. One day, Kenai neglects his duties, and the hard work of the brothers goes to waste as a bear comes and steals all of their fish. Kenai, after being scolded by Denahi, decides to go after the bear and soon finds himself in great danger. His two brothers run to save him, which eventually costs the life of Sitka as he attempts to save his two brothers. Lead by anger and grief, Kenai feels that the only thing for him to do is to hunt the bear that killed his brother. Kenai doesn't realize the mistake he's made and soon is surrounded by the Great Spirits of the Earth and transformed into a bear. Tanana, the shaman woman, tells him that it is time for him to make up for what he's done wrong and sends him in search of the place where the lights touch the earth. Lost and confused in his journey, Kenai meets a little bear cub named Koda, whom he finds to be a complete pain in the neck. Unable to get rid of him, Kenai promises to help Koda find his mother, while at the same time looking for "where the lights touch the earth", for Koda seems to know the place. Together through forests and over mountains, Kenai and Koda develop a brotherly affection for each other and meet all kinds of interesting characters and creatures, as well as the antagonizing appearance of Denahi, who does not recognize Kenai and believes the bear to have killed his brother. Before the journey is through, Kenai will learn to take responsibility for his actions and to see through the eyes of what had once been his enemy, at the same time learning what really makes a man.

"Brother Bear" is a very touching story. For the first time in a very long time, Disney does not overshadow the dramatic elements of the film with trashy comedy and out-of-place comic characters, instead, like I've already said, the film maintains a very good balance of good comedy and effective drama and emotion. Characters like the moose, Rutt and Tuke are added for effective comic relief, while the rest of the main characters are well developed. "Brother Bear" may be the last great Disney animated feature for a long time still, because it doesn't look like things are getting any better, so I recommend anyone who loves a great Disney tale to give this one a try. The film includes great music from Phil Collins as well as a breathtaking soundtrack. Highly recommended, a winner!

for more information click here

you have to get this for your family

Beautiful animation, superb message and fantastic voice cast. You wont be disappointed with this Disney film.

Great movie in a Native American tradition

I loved this movie because it is very close to the Native American tradition and beliefs. Being raised around a Native American tribe myself, I can appreciate the traditions and beliefs of this story. I thought that the story was told well and in a manner of "respect" for brother that was "fearful" of his own totem. Yes, like all Disney movies there is a "moral" to the story and this one is a good one. What you fear most is what you become so you can understand it better. I recommend this movie to all children both young and old. Don't miss this one!!!!

for more information click here

Come on people, it's not that bad

At one point badmouthing Disney didn't seem likely, especially in the early 90's. In the late 90's, the films weren't as timeless but they were still enjoyable with some of their best animation in years (Tarzan's in particular). But then stuff like Atlantis and Treasure Planet hit and the once unknockable studio got a huge face plant, with both not doing as well in the box office as they should've. Brother Bear is one of those films that didn't get as much attention, mainly because it probably wasn't going to do well anyway. While it's certainly not even remotely close to even marginally entertaining films like Oliver and Company, it's still something that just doesn't hit home in anything.

Kenai is an Inuit who's quite brash and immature. When one of his brothers, Sitka, is accidentally killed while fighting a bear, Kenai swears revenge. But upon killing the bear, spirits turn Kenai into a bear himself. Add insult to injury, his other brother Denahi can't hear Kenai talk (since it's just bear growls) and Denahi believes the bear killed Kenai. So Kenai must find a way, along with young cub Koda, to restore himself back to normal while avoiding his brother who's unaware his brother Kenai's a bear.

The animation is one of Disney's more underrated aspects, especially with all of the 3D films coming out lately. While this is nowhere near the House's best, there's some backgrounds and character animation that look fantastic, with a full color palette and detail. Problem is the visuals almost fade after you've seen it. Yeah you loved what you saw but you can't remember where you saw it or what in particular you loved. Also on disc 2 we find the original aspect ratio. The film was first shown in theatres in a 1:66:1 format then at a certain point it switched to a widescreen 2:55:1. While it's a different idea, it just feels irritating, especially when you re-watch the film.

How's the story? Very thin and kind of lifeless. It just feels too by-the-numbers and seen it before but it's not a kind of familiarity that feels good because it works but rather it's just the same ol'. It's like going to one of those tiny diners with the one double-sided menu: sure the food's good but after awhile you just run out of new things to try. Then we have the banal Phil Collins song, which worked in Tarzan, but here they just feel like "ugh, this guy". Then we have the moose duo, played by Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis. Unlike Timon and Pumbaa, who were funny but felt part of the story, these feel like they were put in to make with the funny jokes for no reason. You can take them out and you wouldn't miss them all that much, not to mention the "eh?" schtick got unbelievably old fast.

I wouldn't say it's a bad animated film, I mean it's entertaining to a point, great to look at and it's very kid-friendly. But for the adult looking to be a kid again, it's just not the same.

for more information click here