Review of Brother Bear (2003) by Clem666 — 24 Jul 2021

One of my childhood movies. Disney deals here with another different culture in human history. 'Brother Bear' is beautiful, inspiring, colorful and still a testament to the early days of 3D special effects (for better and for worse). Characters are as simple as the plot. Jokes are agreeable. Remarkable and iconic soundtrack, many thanks to Phil Collins. The credits scenes are just unforgettable. It's a shame they were compiled here because some of them just contained the best jokes of 'Brother Bear'.

Unfortunately 'Brother Bear' is characterized by many flaws. There are too many moments where you wonder where this film wants to go. Many scenes are just useless despite this movie being surprisingly short. Characters are way too shallow: Kenai and his brothers have no parents, no family, no friends, no external social support, no other goal in life than revenge. And it goes the same way for Koda: no father, no friend, no depth. The only moments where the characters could have been deepened are skipped. In general the pace is really tricky. I realize that this movie has no real feminine powerful role which is rare for a Disney movie. Is it just because the movie title contains the word 'brother' and is about brotherhood? In the end all the plot is stuck between Kenai-Koda-Denahi without ever getting some fresh air until the end.

I maintain that the morale (always search behind the appearances, respect nature, learn to forgive because the hate path only generates more violence and suffering, ...) is awesome, especially for kids. But wow, this movie could have done it in a way more simple and structured way.