Brother Bear (2003)

Brother Bear (2003)

6/10

Starring the voices of

Joaquin Phoenix

Jeremy Suarez

Rick Moranis

Dave Thomas

Directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker

Brother Bear is one of those Disney animated movies that’s cool to watch, with a very nice soundtrack. The animation takes you on an emotional ride, aiming to make the viewer feel like they could step into the shoes of the lead character—but in reality, hell no.

The story isn’t bad, and the animation is solid. This is Disney’s 44th animated feature film, classified as an adventure comedy-drama. It’s also the studio’s last major theatrical success using traditional animation before transitioning to CGI for future productions. After Brother Bear, Disney released three more traditional animations, but they weren’t as successful. Home on the Range (2004) and Winnie the Pooh (2011) were box office duds, while The Princess and the Frog (2009) only barely broke even.

Alright, back to this flick. Watching this for the second time, after my first viewing in 2003, I found myself appreciating it less. The story is set in post-Ice Age Alaska, where the people believe that the Great Spirits are responsible for the creation of all creatures. They believe the aurora is the home of these spirits.

At a coming-of-age festival, people in the community are given totems, symbols meant to guide them in becoming men. Among three brothers, Kenai is the youngest, followed by Denahi, and the eldest is Sitka. Kenai receives his totem, as his brothers did before him. His is the totem of love, symbolized by a bear. Kenai is upset by this, questioning how focusing on love will help him become a man or fulfill his calling.

When the brothers return home, Kenai fails to secure their food from bears, and a bear makes off with it. Determined to retrieve the food, Kenai confronts the bear for no real reason, which leads to his brothers coming to his aid. This confrontation tragically results in Sitka’s death. Enraged, Kenai ignores Denahi’s plea to let it go and not anger the spirits by seeking revenge. Instead, Kenai hunts down and kills the bear, which angers the spirits. As punishment, they transform Kenai into a bear.

Meanwhile, Denahi, searching for his brother, finds a bear in Kenai’s place, alongside Kenai’s ripped clothes. Unaware that the bear is actually Kenai, Denahi assumes the bear killed his brother. Consumed by rage, Denahi seeks revenge, determined to kill the bear.

Now, Kenai must journey to the place where the aurora is brightest to ask the spirits to turn him back into a human. Accompanying him is Koda, a young bear also heading toward the same destination in search of his mother, whom he lost a while back. A strange but touching relationship develops between the two as they travel together.

The movie’s soundtrack features music by Phil Collins, though he doesn’t sing all the songs as he did in Tarzan.

The animation is good, and the story is engaging. However, the film includes a long singing scene that feels unnecessary. It’s well-suited for children to watch and enjoy anytime. For adults, it’s an okay movie—entertaining but not particularly exciting.

The movie received mixed reviews. On a $46 million budget, it grossed over $250 million at the box office and made even more through home video sales. It was nominated for Best Animated Feature but lost to Finding Nemo. A direct-to-DVD sequel, Brother Bear 2, was released in 2006, but it’s not worth watching.