Brother Bear 2 – DVD Review

Film, Reviews

Directed by:
Ben Gluck

Starring:
Patrick Dempsey …. Kenai
Mandy Moore …. Nita
Jeremy Suarez …. Koda
Rick Moranis …. Rutt
Dave Thomas …. Tuke
Andrea Martin …. Anda
Catherine O’Hara …. Kata
Wanda Sykes …. Innoko
Wendie Malick …. Aunt Siqiniq
Kathy Najimy …. Aunt Taqqiq
Michael Clarke Duncan …. Tug

Buena Vista Home Entertainment presents Brother Bear 2. Written by Rich Burns. Running time: 73 minutes. Rated G. Released on DVD: August 29, 2006. Available at Amazon.com

The Movie


The format of DVD has opened up a whole new way of experiencing films. Its made tens of thousands of them readily available through services like Blockbuster Online or Netflix for people looking for that diamond in the rough. Or looking up movies highly recommended by people they trust, or simply viewing the latest releases. But on the flip side, its also opened up a whole new window in terms of how studios can make a profit. And for that proof look no further than Disney Home Video and Brother Bear 2.

Disney has recently found a completely new form of revenue with their Direct-to-DVD line of films. From completely sullying the history and legacy of such classics as Bambi, Dumbo, The Fox and the Hound, 101 Dalmatians, Aladdin, The Liong King and Cinderella 1 with horrible, cheap, and unimaginative sequels. To even planning Direct-to-DVD titles for their cash cow Pixar films like Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo once the studio decided to no longer produce films for Disney, they’re really enjoying this new way of squeezing every last penny from each and every one of their hit library films.

Having never seen the first Brother Bear film, I can only hope that I can keep up with what will surely be a story filled with continuity and complex characterizations that build off the previous established story. Oh who am I kidding… This needless sequel centers around Kenai (Patrick Dempsey), a person who was once a boy but is now a bear. (You see, years ago Kenai’s brother was attacked by a bear, and had nothing but revenge on his mind. And all that hate forced The Spirits to change him in to a bear himself, teaching him about tolerance.) After waking up after a long hibernation, Kenai and his little brother Koda (who I’m sure pushes a LOT of merchandise) and plans to start the year off with a bang by heading off to be the first in line for the freshest berries of the season.

However the two are completely unaware of Nita (Mandy Moore), a childhood love of Kenai – back when he was still a real boy. The two one day shared a bond when Kenai gave her a lucky amulet, and from that moment the two were linked by the spirits to be together for all of eternity. So when Nita is lined up to wed another man, a massive earthquake ensues before the two can exchange their vows. Which leads to Nita visiting the local shaman, voiced by a completely out of place Wonda Sykes. She’s told that she must take the amulet to the place it was given to her on the eve of the equinox, which is only three days away. Making matters worse is that she has to make the trek with Kenai and destroy it together.

This is yet another title produced by Disney taking advantage of an already established and recognizable cast of characters, and quickly putting them in another adventure. Only this time without the theatrical distribution, or a well crafted script, and slightly less attention paid towards the films animation detail. And most of the time the story tends to poorly capture what made the original one great in the first place. Other then that, it’s all really the same.

What follows is a very paint by numbers story that older viewers will see through from start to finish. Being able to predict what will happen next before they even happen. This is a film made for and marketed towards younger – and more influenceable – audience that can convince their parents to spending the money on the title. The film does very little in terms of originality or going off the already established story telling trail and instead does a very safe and formulaic childhood tale.

But the point being is that the studio no longer has much care for its legacy any more, instead favoring a boost in sales. Granted these newer sequels hold little bearing to how we remember the classic characters, but they still show how Disney has changed over the years and how they view their customers as nothing more than walking ATM machines.

The DVD


Video:
(Presented in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen)
Unlike many other animated films made specifically for DVD that tend to cut corners (and costs) by giving the movie a very low budget appearance, Brother Bear 2 looks like a million bucks on DVD. The picture is crystal clear without a single imperfection to be found. I’m reasonably sure that the film is a direct digital to digital transfer, so it’s only right that this film look as good as it does. There are no noticeable edge enhancements or compression issues on the disc either. In short, this is by far one of the best looking animated films made specifically for home video that you’ll probably ever see.

Audio:
(English, French, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, English 5.1 DTS)
I can’t for the life of me find any difference between the Dolby Digital 5.1 and 5.1 DTS mixes. If anything, the DTS might add a bit more clarity. Both mixes are very nice and makes good use of side and rear speakers, giving the viewer a strong sense of being pulled in to the movie.

Extras:

Ther are only two bonus features on the DVD, first up is Behind the Music of Brother Bear 2 (8:20) which has Melissa Etheridge talking about creating all the songs in the movie. It’s nice to see a featurette that focuses on the musical aspect of movie making for once. The only other feature is an interactive game called Trample Off, Eh? that is just a trivia game testing how much attention you paid to the film.

The DVD Lounge’s Ratings for Brother Bear 2
CATEGORY
RATING
(OUT OF 10)
THE MOVIE

4
THE VIDEO

10
THE AUDIO

7
THE EXTRAS

3
REPLAY VALUE

2
OVERALL
5
(NOT AN AVERAGE)

1. Actually the list is much longer, I could keep naming them off but I don’t have all day. If your curious, visit Wikipedia for the full – and evergrowing – list of Direct-to-DVD titles from Disney.

Currently residing in Washington D.C., John Charles Thomas has been writing in the digital space since 2005. While he'd like to boast about the culture and scenery, he tends to be more of a procrastinating creative type with an ambitious recluse side. @NerdLmtd