Toon Talk: Brother Bear 2
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(c) Disney
Nita, who is no slouch in the hunting department, tracks down Kenai (rather easily, I must say) and convinces him to join her on her task - although a bit begrudgingly on his part. At first they bicker, as exes often do, but after an adventurous escape from a pack of pick-pocketing raccoons, they begin to warm up to each other again, much to third wheel Koda’s chagrin.
Eventually, tough choices must be made: should Kenai return to human form to be with Nita? Can Koda make the ultimate sacrifice so his “brother bear�? can be happy? Will Nita wed her betrothed, or will her rekindled love for Kenai rule out? It is all resolved, with a little help from the Great Spirits, in a joyfully tear-jerking climax.
And what about Rutt and Tuke? Well, the sibling simpletons actually get their very own subplot this time out, pursuing their own true loves in the form of a pair of “moosettes�? voiced by Catherine O’Hara and Andrea Martin. That’s right, classic TV comedy fans, a mini-SCTV reunion.
The original Brother Bear suffered from conflicting tones, trying too hard for a “Timon and Pumbaa�? vibe in a Bambi world. The sequel, on the other hand, ditches all the heavy stuff that weighed down the original, focusing instead on a more light-hearted -- yet still effective -- mood. The moral of this story is summed up in the oft-repeated line “once you love someone, they stay in your heart forever�?. This fine message resonates throughout BB2, that rarity of sequels that surpasses the original.
Phil Collins (who must have been too busy with the Broadway musical version of Tarzan) sits this one out, but is ably replaced by Grammy Award-winner Melissa Etheridge, who sings all three new songs in BB2, two of which she wrote. She is spotlighted in the one “making of�? bonus feature, “Behind the Music of Brother Bear 2�?, wherein she discusses her influences and inspirations for her songs, the stirring opener “Welcome To This Day�? and the emotional ballad “It Will Be Me�? (a true heart-tugger if you ever heard one). Also interviewed are Josh Kelley, Etheridge’s duet partner on the love song “Feels Like Home�?, and score composer Dave Metzger.
(c) Disney
Closing out the disc is a game featuring Rutt and Tuke appropriately titled “Trample Off, Eh?�? Players must answer movie and nature trivia questions correctly in order to earn their very own collection of “moose chips�? … hey, watch it - the sanitary kind, you hoser.
Toon Talk Rating: B+
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In this ‘Toon Talk’ feature, I will briefly highlight a recommended film or DVD, outside of the Disney universe, of similar interest to the main subject. Grrrr … Grizzly Greats In many ways, Jean-Jacques Annaud’s The Bear (original French title L’Ours; Tri-Star, 1988) is the live action Brother Bear. After a precocious (and oh-so adorable) bear cub is orphaned, he takes up with a “big brother�? (played by Bart the Bear, the Tom Cruise of bear actors) who is a bit of a loner. You even get to see “through the eyes�? of the little bear when he dreams and even (gulp!) trips out on psychotropic wild mushrooms. Unfortunately, the only currently available DVD (from Columbia Tri-Star Home Video) is a full-screen, pan and scan job, severely compromising Philippe Rouseelot’s celebrated cinematography. Hopefully a widescreen version will eventually be released to do this moving and memorable film justice. Rated PG. |
Coming Soon:
- Disney DVD goes back “under the sea�? for a 2-disc Platinum Edition of the one that (re-)started it all, The Little Mermaid (October 3).
- Another animated favorite is revisited with the 25th Anniversary Edition Disney DVD of The Fox and the Hound (October 10).
- Don some 3-D glasses for a haunting good time with the re-release of the stop-motion cult classic Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas … in digital 3-D! (Touchstone, October 20).
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-- Kirby C. Holt
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http://www.cafepress.com/MagicBear
Kirby is a lifelong Disney fan and film buff. He is also an avid list maker and chronic ellipsis user ...
Took Talk: Disney Film & Video Reviews by Kirby C. Holt is posted whenever there's something new to review.
The opinions expressed by our Kirby C. Holt, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted August 29, 2006