Day 44: Brother Bear

Brother Bear (2003)

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Jason Raize, D.B. Sweeney, Joan Copeland, Michael Clarke Duncan, Greg Proops, Pauley Perrette, Estelle Harris, Bumper Robinson, Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley

Songs: "Look Through My Eyes," "Great Spirits," "Welcome," "No Way Out," "Transformation," "On My Way"

Brother Bear is the forty-fourth Disney animated film.  It tells the story of Kenai, a young Inuit boy who tries to kill a bear after he causes a fight with the bear that leads to his older brother's death.  He is then transformed into a bear as a sort of punishment and lesson.  

This film began animation in 2001, and was the last film to be made at the Disney animation studio in Florida, which was shut down not long after this was released.  The film blends traditional animation and CGI, not to the extent of previous features like Treasure Planet or Atlantis, but it was blended very well here.  One thing that sets this movie apart is that the beginning, before Kenai is transformed into a bear, is done in full screen, and it later transitions to widescreen when he is transformed.  The colors used  also became brighter.

This film unfortunately got mixed to poor results, many critics thinking too much of it was rehashed from previous Disney films.  I, however, rather liked it, and it was fairly successful at the box office.  The animation is really pretty and the backgrounds are gorgeous.  The characters are engaging, and the Phil Collins written music is nice.  The film is totally watchable -- enjoyable, even.  I unfortunately never saw this movie when I was younger. as it came out during my regrettable "too old for Disney" phase.  But when I did finally see it, I enjoyed it... and I think I would have liked it at the time as well.

What I Liked: The Canadian moose brothers, eh.  Bob and Doug McKenzie.  They're hilarious, I don't care what anyone says.  Also, Koda is a ball of adorable.

What I Disliked: Nothing springs to mind, actually.  Well, there's not a lot of females...

Should You Watch This Movie: Yeah, I'd honestly recommend it.