NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Anssi Vartiainen Brother Bear had the potential to be a great film. I kind of think this as Disney's attempt to redo Pocahontas. Stylistically they're very similar. You have natives, ancient American wilderness, themes of nature and coexistence, the whole nine yards. But like Pocahontas, Brother Bear is a very flawed film. Excellent initial idea and setting are watered down by lackluster storytelling decisions and bland characters.Kenai is a young man on the cusp of adulthood, ready to receive his spirit animal, his totem. Unfortunately for him, instead of heroism, or bravery, or courage, his totem is that of a bear, representing love. And naturally, being a typical boy, this doesn't sit well with him. But, through various events, he is transformed into a bear to learn a lesson about himself and the wider world around him. Doesn't sound so bad, does it? It's basic and a bit heavy-handed, but you can see the possibilities.Unfortunately, after a really strong first act, the film falls apart. Kenai and Koda, the bear cup he meets soon after transforming, are horribly written characters. They have no chemistry, no characteristics beyond stereotypes and their bond is not enough to carry a film. The story itself is fine, but if you don't care about the characters, you won't care about the story. Plus, the music by Phil Collins is an ill fit for the mood they're trying to accomplish. In Tarzan Collins' songs worked because of how well-written they were, but here they're more than a little intrusive. Especially when they start playing over scenes that should deepen the bond and relationship between our two main characters. More than once music starts playing when we should hear the conversations between these two.That being said, the movie definitely has its upsides as well. The animation and the visuals in general are both gorgeous. The colours are lush and vivid, the character designs are enjoyable and the whole world of ancient Inuits comes to life beautifully. And as much as I harped on the music, I do think that the first two songs, Great Spirits and Transformation, are both fantastic. And while the story could have been a lot better with very little effort, it's by no means awful. I simply don't like seeing potential wasted like this.All in all, Brother Bear is on the lower end of Disney films, but it still means that it's worth a watch if you have a couple of hours to kill and have already seen all the better ones. It's not great, but it has enough good in it to entertain.

Python Hyena Brother Bear (2003): Dir: Aaron Blaise, Robert Walker / Voices: Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, D.B. Sweeney: Entertaining animation about man's relationship with nature. Three brothers catch fish for their tribe. It is custom that when they get older they receive necklaces carved in the likeness of animals to symbolize a particular strength. Older brother is eagle of guidance. Middle brother is wolf of wisdom. The youngest is bear of love. This comes as a disappointment due to ridicule. An encounter with a bear renders the death of an older brother who gives his life by causing a glacier to collapse. The bear survives and the younger brother seeks revenge. Upon slaying the bear the great spirits transforms him into a bear and is companioned with a bear cub. Directors Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker are aided by glorious images but the screenplay is far from glorious. Joaquin Phoenix voices the transformed victim but such an act comes off as contrived with a predicted resolution. Jeremy Suarez voices the cub whose mother is killed and he forms a friendship with her killer. D.B. Sweeney voices the resourceful older brother. Strange Brew duo Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas voice two moose in the comic likenesses of themselves. Themes of independence and friendship marred by new age elements and a debatable ending. Score: 7 / 10

OllieSuave-007 Disney's 44th full-length animated feature film is a story about an Inuit tribe member named Kenai who kills a bear and he, in turn, becomes one in order to learn the true meaning of brotherly love.This movie brings us directors Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker, who gave us quite an adventurous movie full of man vs. bear action and animals journeying through the wilderness. The plot about Kenai traveling through the land looking for ways to become human again with a chattering cub as his guide is interesting, but not fascinating. The brotherly relationship between the talkative cub and Kenai is a little heartfelt, but I've seen more touching animal character moments from other Disney films like Fox and the Hound and Dumbo.The animation was colorful or vibrant like earlier animated pieces in the Disney canon - traditional hand-drawn animation. The visual effects were quite nice - love the human to animal transformation and the sequences involving the spirits.The plot, though, goes at a somewhat slow pace and doesn't gain very much traction throughout the movie because of a lack of suspense and surprises. Nothing really captures your interest as it's more like a simple Disney cartoon about talking animals. However, I do have to give credit for Disney in entertaining the idea of producing stories with different plot lines other than prince meets princess love stories, and emphasizing on family, consequences, responsibility and forgiveness.Yet, this movie still doesn't have that wow factor as earlier Disney movies do like those from the Walt Era and the Renaissance Era, but it's still not too bad to watch at least once.Grade C

liampaulmassey This review is not a spoiler, I love the film and everything, It is a great movie and is a great story. It also has very good animated graphics It is one of those films where you can watch it again on the same day or again straight after, The three brothers remind me of when I was younger. Me being the oldest and my two brothers and me, and has loving music in it, I'm one of those people who actually listens to movie tunes while I'm out in the day but on the bonus features where they mention a song called 'This can't be my destiny' by Phil Collins that to this day is still unreleased, they let you hear five seconds of the song but straight away I love the tune and I wish they could of added it as a bonus track on the official brother bear soundtrack album that I have