Review of Brother Bear (2003) by Jeffrey L — 14 Jan 2013

Another animated Disney feature not known by fans as well as other classics but still may be remembered fondly by a select crowd, Brother Bear strives to live up to Disney's expectations and overall does a thorough job. A fun voice cast comes together nicely along with beautiful animation and an engaging approach to storytelling, even if the story is odd in the extreme.

This enchanting tale revolves initially around a group of Native American brothers hunting in the wilderness who become separated after taking the life of an innocent bear. The ancient spirits watching over them are displeased and eventually the headstrong sibling is transformed into a bear, himself. Spiteful at first, he roams around in search of a way to reunite with his family and reverse the transformation. But of course, he eventually comes to realize he may be better off in this furry clothing and even forms an unbreakable bond with a bear cub named Koda who was separated from his mother.

A unique Disney creation that should get just as much credibility as any of their other contributions, this one may not rank among the most popular and usually gets skipped over. Yet, overall it was very skillfully produced and was one of their last films released in 2-D. It also is notable for being one of the few Disney films (aside from Pocahantas) to feature Native American spirits, which Disney films usually avoid. But here it seems to work fine. It also (to the date) has been Rick Moranis's last theatrical movie and one of the few Disney films to feature the short-lived black and orange logo. A catchy soundtrack with songs performed by Phil Collins also adds a nice touch. Moranis and Dave Thomas's moose characters are supposed to be a tribute to their McKenzie Brothers characters from 1983's Strange Brew. Followed three years later by a DVD sequel.