Thoughts on Brother Bear

[DC Fan]

I´d like to know your opinion on Brother Bear.

I don´t understand why this movie is subject to so many criticisms by the media.

It might not be great but it is way better than Home on the Range. In fact, I would have used this one as the "last hand drawn animation film" instead of that one.

[DisneyFan09]

I don´t understand why this movie is subject to so many criticisms by the media.

And where are your sources for it?

Either way, I'm glad you asked about "Brother Bear".

I think "Brother Bear" is a mixed bag and a muddled movie. While the film has it's moments (good animation, a nice score and some good action sequences), it' s still mediocre as a whole. First of all, movie is violently forcing the moral down the audiences throat in a heavy-handed manner. Second of all is the main motivation for the protagonist, which was very weak; Kenai kills an poor, innocent bear for no legitimate reason at all. If the bear actually killed Kenai's brother, then his reason would been more justified. Third of all, while the movie at least should have some kudos for giving us flawed characters, it still gives a false view of forgiveness and reunion. I mean, logically, do you think a person would still have affection for a person who killed his mother? Yes, animated movies usually presents rushed/unrealistic notions, but the notion that Koda still had affection for Kenai after he knew the truth was very unrealistic.

It might not be great but it is way better than Home on the Range. In fact, I would have used this one as the "last hand drawn animation film" instead of that one.

I know I'm in the minority, but I have to disagree. Although it's a while that I've seen "Home on the Range", I thought it was more enjoyable than "Brother Bear". No, I don't consider it to be a masterpiece, but for what is was, I enjoyed it.

[PatrickvD]

Brother Bear was originally scheduled for 2004, but it was switched with Home on the Range. Notice how rushed the final act is. It re-uses animation and even parts of the score from the first act of the film. They were on a crazy deadline. And meanwhile, Home on the Range was being butchered in re-writes and editing. That film's amazing original opening scene was murdered. All in an effort to ditch the medium by mid-2004 and get rid of all the desks etc as quickly as possible.

[Kyle]

I think I liked it more than Princess and the frog if you can believe it. It was pretty good as far as modern handrawn Disney goes. Its no lilo & Stitch, but still enjoyable

[Disney's Divinity]

Honestly, I don't watch this one too often, but this is one of the films that I actually have a large measure of hatred for. It is a beautiful film for the most part, but I just didn't care for most of the characters or the story (and those are the parts that usually count most with me). The human designs leave me flat and the main players are annoying beyond belief (Kenai, Denahi, Koda), and the Shaman/priestess/whatever felt like a re-hash of Grandmother Willow and Rafiki (Mama Odie is another one of those re-hashes to come), both of whom I liked more. I didn't mind the two moose so much, although they are disliked by a lot of people (I believe, anyway), but I don't think they added anything either. The scenes with the spirits would have been more moving if they hadn't been ugly 3D visuals for the most part. I enjoyed and own the soundtrack, though it wasn't on par with Tarzan.

Strangely, I have more positive feelings for HOTR than I do for this, and that film seems almost universally despised here.

[RyGuy]

I am in the extreme minority in that I actually enjoyed Brother Bear. Is it flawed? Absolutely, but it is more watchable to me than anything released between The Emperor's New Groove and The Princess and the Frog. I'm not saying it's a better film, just that it holds my interest longer than the others.

Like most boys that grew up in the 80s, I am a fan of Strange Brew. That movie is totally stupid, which is the point. And the moose were simply animated versions of the McKenzie brothers (which is partly while I enjoy BB - same stupid humor I grew up with).

As for Home on the Range, the only way I can watch that movie is when I'm running on the treadmill and even then I only get through about an hour of it. I don't think I'm alone . . . My local Walmart is selling the DVD for $5. Seriously, $5. I don't think Disney would let any retailer sell a new copy of any other DAC for that little. Maybe they're trying to recoup their production costs in printing the DVD?

[DisneyFan09]

I am in the extreme minority in that I actually enjoyed Brother Bear. Is it flawed? Absolutely.

Why do you consider it to be flawed?

[Edthehyena]

I've always been wondering why is Brother Bear my less favorite Disney Movie of all time.
Well, the story, when i read it first, was gorgeous, with a lot of good things in it : the totems, the very fairy tale pattern of the 3 brothers, the death of a brother, the revenge theme, Dangerous Denahi mistaking Kenai for the killer of Sitka and chasing him, Kenai killing the mother of Koda, his future "brother", because she killed his ex human brother…

But when i saw it, except the transformation scene, nothing really worked, and it was nothing but bore :

- I had an awful Canadian documentary feeling during all the movie : landscapes ( beautiful i have to say) and animals, animals, animals…

- " On my Way " is a fantastic Disney song, i mean the melody and the taste of it are magical, but the pictures that go with it are just a useless patchwork. And all the other songs are a failure ( overture sucks (musically and visually), " welcome" is a joke, even the emotional song when Kenai makes his confession is clumsy ). Collins, and even Mancina, did so better with Tarzan.

- the duet making a deal to travel together to a special place is the first of a very disappointing formula ( dory and marlin, carl and russel , tiana and naveen, rapunzel and flynn, anna and kristoff )

- i don't buy the " i am dead i am a bear i am a man i come back to hug you i'm dead you're alive let's hug now i go back to the sky i am a man now i am a bear i want to be a man again i want to stay a bear you're an eagle you was a man you're a man again now you're an eagle again i am your mother i was dead now you can see me again an now i leave again" process at all…

- the emotional or dramatical moments does nothing to me in that movie

- worst of all is that "déjà vu" feeling wherever i look : lion king and bambi flavor, pocahontas with Lilo syndrom characters, the human transformed in an animal like kuzco, etc...

- the human animation is clumsy ( the shaman woman, the overture…)

I think all their talent went into the transformations scene, but it was already in every trailer, so… nothing surprises me or moves in that movie.

I wish i could love it but i don't like it very much. But i could give it another try and may be more indulgent.

PS / ah, and of course, the mooses are boring ( too ).

[Walter]

I actually enjoyed Brother Bear. Felt it had some nice music and most of the characters were interesting, as well as the story of Kenai learning to see it from a bear's point of view, after having huge hatred for them.

but the notion that Koda still had affection for Kenai after he knew the truth was very unrealistic.

I had a hard time accepting that myself as well. Just seemed too much of plot convenience, to just get the story moving along. But have to admit, the spirits of Stika and Koda's mother at the end, were really touching to see, when being briefly reunited with their respective family members before going back to the other side.

I was not a fan of the mooses at all, though. I guess they were suppose to be comedy relief like Dinky and Boomer were in "The Fox and the Hound", but the mooses were useless and I wished they weren't in the movie at all. At least with Dinky and Boomer, I thought they were necessary to lighten the mood in an otherwise, depressing movie.

As for "Home on the Range", not as bad as many say it is, as I don't think it's the worst Disney film. While I won't go as far as say it's underrated, I do find it as entertaining as the package films. I would rather watch this than the lousy "Shark Tale", which came out the same year.

[Marky_198]

I love Brother Bear.

I think it is a much better film than The Emperor's New Groove, Lilo and Stitch, Home on the Range, and even Hercules, Tarzan and Mulan (although many will not agree with me for the last 3).

Brother Bear was the first time I was truly touched and cried at an animated film since The Lion King (and maybe the finale of Pocahontas). Although there are certain things I don't like, such as the Lilo-syndrome character designs, there are many things I did like.

"No way back" gets me every time. I also think the music is quite original at times, for example the transformation with the northern light and the authentic choir. It sends chills down my spine.
I also love the part in "Welcome" where he is underwater and sings about the beauty.
These moments remind me of Sleeping Beauty and why I love Disney so much.

I also love the serious tone of the film.

The character designs went down hill after The Lion King in my opinion.

[Semaj]

Any premise involving two brothers is an immediate winner for me.

Brother Bear should have been a lot better than it turned out. It still had, in absence of anything truly memorable beautiful art, and a solid story good enough for more than a first viewing. And although Disney has done many humans-turn-into-animal tales before, this is looking a little more original than a certain Pixar feature....

If Disney was going to end their hand-drawn legacy with a bit of dignity, this should've been released in 2004 as originally planned.