Brother Bear (2003)

A Cute Movie

I've read the more negative reviews to this movie and I'd have to say I don't agree with them. While Brother Bear is obviously not quite on par with Classic Disney movies like Beauty and the Beast or the Lion King, which are the two it seems most often compared to, it is a cute movie in its own right. I hadn't seen this movie in a very long time, and I just recently re-watched it while babysitting two of my younger cousins. I didn't remember much about it, except that I'd seen it for the first time when I was twelve and loved it. I'm now seventeen, so this review will be a bit more from an adult perspective.

I feel I should first address the issue of death in this movie, as that seems to be the most controversial issue. I showed the movie to two of my cousins, an eight year old boy and a six year old girl, and both of them were perfectly okay with it. Honestly I feel this movie goes about portraying death in a way that is sensitive to impressionable young children. It shows the characters who die living on as spirits, and conveys the message that when our loved ones die, they don't completely leave us. As for the spirits, they don't really present a religious issue. My entire family is Catholic and we had no problem with it. It seems to me that smaller kids wouldn't actually register that it's another religion, as the movie does not outright state anything that would denote anyone's faith. As for adults, I'm pretty sure they'll just realize the religion goes with the culture the movie is trying to portray.

As for the actual movie, I found it enjoyable to watch and my cousins liked it as well. True, some of the jokes and dialogue are a bit juvenile, such as Denahi telling Kenai he should have recieved "the totem of pinheads." At such moments my cousins laughed and I simply rolled my eyes. Still, since it is a cartoon and meant to appeal to children I figure we can all let that slide. Besides, the movie has humor that can appeal to adults as well, i.e. the beloved duo of Rutt and Tuke. Other than that the story has good messages about brotherhood, the sanctity of life and seeing things from another's perspective.

To those who believed the movie was saying that animals are better than us, that's not the impression I got at all. Kenai is transformed because he killed the bear. Yes the actual act of killing was done in self defense, but he only reached that point from his original malicious intentions. The bear did not go after Kenai in cold blood, she was protecting her cub, a natural animal instinct. Kenai actually provoked this by throwing a rock at the bear, which was walking in an opposite direction. His actions were uncalled for and done with no other intention but to maliciously kill another living thing. The point of the transformation was for Sitka to show Kenai that the bear he killed was a living, feeling being that had a child of her own, not just a vicious monster with no intent but to destroy. The movie's purpose was to show that if we don't properly understand something we can grow to hate it. At least that's the impression I got.

All in all, the point I'm trying to make from this is that though this movie may not be for everyone, you should probably give it a try before you cast it aside. It may not be one of the best Disney movies made, but in my opinion it has some merit and is worth watching.
December 7, 2008

good movie for t6he whole family

i loved both of the brother bear movie if you want to laugh cry and be sad try this movie,its joy, happy,and sad something for everyone in the family September 24, 2008

Brother Bear

In a new take on the classic theme of boy becomes man, Brother Bear tells the story from a surprising, and unique perspective. In classic Disney animation, a young Native American boy, Kenai embarks on a journey of self-discovery and transformation.
The film opens with Kenai and his brothers preparing for a ceremony in which Kenai is to be given a token from the Great Spirits that is thought to determine one's destiny. His turns out to be a token of love, in the shape of a bear. Through a tragic accident, Kenai's oldest brother sacrifices himself while trying to save Kenai and Denahi from a bear attack. With revenge on his mind, Kenai hunts down the bear he thinks is responsible for his brother's death and kills it.
As a consequence of his action, the Spirits transform Kenai into a bear himself. Soon after, his other brother, Denahi comes upon what he believes to be Kenai's possessions and assumes that the bear has also killed Kenai. He purposes to kill this bear also, not knowing that it is now his own brother.
Kenai must now run for his life and through communication with the tribal Shaman, determines to go to a sacred Indian spot: "Where the lights touch the Earth," to find restitution with his brother. Along the way he befriends an orphan bear cub Koda, who unbeknownst to Keani is actually the cub of the bear that he killed earlier.
Through this journey Kenai discovers that bears aren't the enemy at all, that they are just trying to survive like everything else. In the end, Kenai ends up remaining a bear and staying with Koda after reconciling things with his two brothers.
One interesting thing about the movie is how it relates to World Religions. Many of the themes come straight from the beliefs and customs of people that practice Indigenous Religions. For instance, there is a female Shaman character that advises Kenai and his people and oversees the rituals they practice. She also is able to communicate directly with the Spirit forces in the film, conveying their messages to the other people. Also, in the opening sequence there is a scene where an elder is storytelling and passing down the oral traditions, important features of Indigenous people groups.
Brother Bear tells the age-old tale of coming of age and respect for life in a time when our culture rarely takes time to acknowledge either.
September 8, 2008

Best children's DVD!

Loved it. My family is from Alaska and I bought them all a copy, because it pulls "real" Alaskan attributes into the movie. Entertaining for adults and educational for children without them even knowing it. WOW! June 4, 2008

Especially good for open-minded folks

This is a good movie for kids, even manages to throw in a bit of exposure to prehistoric culture and ancient shaman/animal-based religion. Not bad for a Disney wannabe. :) I especially enjoyed the moose characters (played Canuck-style by Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis), though even their abundant character didn't quite make up for the lack of it from some of the other characters. Overall a nice movie and good for driving home a few ideas about the golden rule and other cultures. February 13, 2008

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