The Walt Disney Company has a storied history of educating and campaigning for nature conservation that extends all the way back to Walt Disney. One of his earliest efforts was his Academy Award winning True-Life Adventure film series, which is credited for popularizing the nature documentary genre. Animated classics such as Bambi and The Lion King continued the company’s emphasis on the delicate balance of nature.
Disney currently has several efforts in place to create awareness for the world around us. Through these programs, we gain a better understanding of how we can help create a sustainable future for the next generation. At Disney Parks, and particularly at Disney’s Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort, guests can donate to Disney’s Wildlife Conservation Fund which has donated more than $24 million to nature projects. Disney Channel uses its stars to encourage kids to volunteer to help their community and environment though their Friends for Change program.
Disney’s most visible efforts in recent years have been through Disneynature, a film division formed in 2007. Unlike most Disney films, Disneynature started by providing financial backing to international nature documentaries that were already in production, or in some cases were already completed. As a result, the United States was often one of the final countries to see the earlier films. Many of these Disneynature films merely received new narrations and end credit songs for their American release. Starting in 2012 with Chimpanzee, Disneynature released the first film fully conceptualized, fully funded and fully produced by Disney.
This year, the latest Disneynature film is Bears. Almost everything I know about bears I’ve learned from Disney. They love to sing country music, humans can be magically transformed into them to learn important life lessons, and Mickey has a pal who loves to play dress up named Duffy the Disney Bear. From NBC’s The Office I also knew that black bears are best, bears eat beats, and “bears beats Battlestar Galactica.” Everything I thought I knew about bears was challenged by this film.
Bears shares a year in the life of a new mother named Sky and her two cubs, Amber and Scout. Amber likes to let her mom lead, preferring to ride on her back while Scout is mischievous and likes to learn everything for himself. The first year is the most dangers for a bear cub with many challenges ahead of them. Sky desperately needs to find food and rebuild her fat supply so she can continue to feed her cubs through the next winter. Along their journey, they have to outrun two big bears intent on eating Sky’s cubs as well as a predatory wolf who seeks to pick them apart.
This film is narrated by Wreck-It Ralph himself, John C. Riley, who adds a Disney-touch by occasionally voicing the thoughts of Amber and Scout. He’s an excellent choice for this film, with enough softness in his voice to convey the seriousness of Sky’s journey while still being able to have fun with the lighter moments. The cinematography is breathtaking, depicting the natural beauty of Alaska and all of the animals in this film. The songs are fitting as well, including Phil Phillips “Home” (as heard in the trailer) and “Carry On” by the newest star out of the Disney Channel machine, Olivia Holt.
The True-Life Adventure films were famous for bending the truth and for staging some of the action. There were parts of Bears that seemed unbelievable, but the end credits features shots of the filmmakers capturing this footage that adds credibility. Disneynature is also committed to telling true stories, so I have to believe that what is onscreen in this film is authentic. The most amazing part of the film for me was the relationship Sky and other bears have with ravens, their eyes-in-the-sky who mutually benefit from leading these giant beasts to food.
If you know more about bears than I did prior to seeing Bears, you will still enjoy the film. It has moments that will make you go “Awe,” such as when Amber and Scout share affection after being separated. There are moments that will leave you on the edge of your seat in suspense. There are plenty of humorous scenes that will leave you smiling. And there are a few tearful moments as well, especially for anyone with parental tendencies. Compared to the other theatrically released Disneynature films, I liked Bears the best. Although my absolute favorite film in the series is the direct-to-video The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos.
Theatergoers who see Bears opening weekend (April 18th though April 20th) will be happy to know that a portion of their ticket purchase will be donated to the National Park Foundation, which preserves our national parks and ensures these animals will always have a home (Bears takes place in Katmai National Park in Alaska). If you don’t have a chance to see Bears opening weekend, you should still make a commitment to supporting theatrically released nature documentaries, which are few and far between. Seeing Disneynature films is not only enlightening, but also helps Disney continue to produce these films and continue to donate a portion of the proceeds to strengthening our precious planet.
Bottom Line: 4 out of 5 Bear Claws
Alex is currently watching and reviewing all of Disney’s films in chronological order. You can follow along here.