Review of Brother Bear (2003) by Tai R — 06 Sep 2008

Brother Bear is about a native boy, Kenai, seeking to enter manhood. He pursues a bear that is responsible for killing his brother, thinking that bears are dumb animals and lack any feelings. Upon killing the bear, the spirits are upset with his actions and transform him into a bear, with the thought that he will learn from his actions. He meets a young cub, Coda, which he wants nothing to do with. But as they travel there bond with each other grows tighter. As they journey together to the sacred mountain, where he can be transformed back into a human, he and the cub meet several forest creatures along the way. The funniest of these are the Moose brothers. During the journey, they are also being pursued by the boy's human brother, also seeking revenge for what he believes is the bear responsible for killing both of his brothers. In the end, the spirits come to Kenai and he chooses to remain a bear, to stay close to his new family and continue growing into an adult bear with his brother, Coda.

This movie can be associated with many religions throughout the world that believe that we are all attached to each other and the Earth is one with us. The spirits are revered as the ancestors that have gone before us and they help guide us through life. They can grant us good will, or make things hard for us as well.