Publisher: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Ages: five and up
Parental
Advisory:
Thoughtful and epic, Disney's
Brother Bear
delivers a fun family-friendly adventure. When
an impulsive boy named Kenai is magically
transformed into a bear, he literally walks in
another's footsteps until he learns life's valuable
lessons. His courageous and zany journey introduces him to a forest full of
talking wildlife that include a lovable bear cub named Koda, hilarious moose
Rutt and Tuke, woolly mammoths, rambunctious rams and more.
The film features fantastic animation and scenery, the usual comedy relief and puns, fun characters, good music and epic moments. It's not Disney's finest or most involving animated feature, but an excellent family film.
The DVD features lots of fun extras. There's hilarious commentary by the moose characters and "outtakes," and animation fans will appreciate the "Making Of" featurette. There's a deleted scene, two games: "Find Your Totem," a personality profiler and "Bone Puzzle," a puzzle-style game; a new song from Phil Collins and a sing-along segment. It's enough to keep the kids busy for a couple of hours.
In the end, Brother Bear earns its place among Disney's animated features. And it's a heck of a lot better than 98% of the family-oriented DVD stuff out there.
4/7/04 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
