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Brother Bear 2
R1 - America - Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Cameron Murray & Noor Razzak (31st August 2006). |
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The Film
 Brother Bear 2 is an animated feature by Disney, so it goes without saying that it is family friendly. Following up from the original Brother Bear (2003), it isnt much of a strain to get up to speed on the plot (which is probably a good thing as this is a kids movie). Brother Bear 2 is the story Kenai (Patrick Dempsey), returning from the original movie, and his childhood sweetheart Nita (Mandy Moore) as kids they would play and run around until one day, on a ledge under a waterfall Kenai gives Nita an amulet and they draw their pictures on the wall as puppy love is prone to do. In the prequel to this movie Kenai gets turned into a bear, and Nita goes on with her life and as we enter the story we find her trying to get married. Unfortunately for Nita as a child she formed a bond with Kenai that the spirits consider to be what I can only assume is true love. In order to break this bond Kenai and Nita must burn the amulet on that same ledge under the same waterfall on the night of the equinox (when winter becomes spring, nothing like a deadline to create tension). This probably wouldnt be too difficult if they were both the same species but with one of them being a bear and not quite over the childhood crush, is traveling begrudgingly and with his brother bear Koda (Jeremy Suarez), who pleasantly is not as annoying as the chatty little brother bear character might suggest. On their journey they have many adventures and you get to meet some of the characters in their lives, such as a couple of moose who are in heat, but incompetent with the ladies. The story itself unfolds with a little bit of inevitability, there are a few moments where it takes you by surprise but other than that there isnt too much in the story that you dont see coming about half an hour before it comes to pass, and given that the movie only goes for about eighty odd minutes, youll only need to watch half of it to know how its going to end. Having said that, this is a kids movie and as such cant really be judged with the same set of rules that your average movie can. The story line is non-convoluted but interesting enough; as such I feel that this story would be good for kids just not necessarily for the adults watching it with the kids. Stylistically its Disney, if youre in a forest youll see a Bambi like deer, its a given. The animation is very good with some beautiful scenic shots thrown in. The audio dubbing was also very good, not suffering from the occasional ‘mouth is moving and the voiceover is talking but the two don't match up syndrome. This is a quality production but when its Disney that's what you expect. Most of the core cast have returned from the original movie, and the cast is quite impressive when you can have Patrick Dempsey replacing Joaquin Phoenix in the voice of Kenai, and Michael Clarke Duncan in a bit part it gives you an idea of the quality. Mandy Moores voice work was enjoyable as was the chemistry between Kenai and Nita, which is impressive given that they probably didnt even meet each other. As previously mentioned the actor who played Koda did a very good job of playing a talkative child character that didnt turn out to be annoying. Id give the cast of this movie a seven out of ten, which is good but not stunning. This is a decent kids movie, but it is just that, a kids movie. Unfortunately its not really one of those movies that have much for the older people who are forced to watch it with the kids, but it does have enough to keep you mildly interested. It is also a good length for children given that it is a little over eighty minutes they shouldnt be too restless by the end of it. My verdict on this movie is, if you have kids go for gold, if you dont this would make a bad first date movie (your date will think that you are a simpleton).
Video
Presented in a family friendly 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, I found the image rather pleasing. The image is generally quite sharp and was an impeccably clean print. The colors are rich, vibrant and well rendered however I did not some minor edge-enhancement that was bothersome but I doubt any kids will notice anything. Overall I felt that this film was given a fine treatment and the result is a splendid image.
Audio
Four audio tracks are presented on this disc, two of which are in English, a DTS 5.1 track and a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, French and Spanish languages are also included in Dolby Digital 5.1. For the purposes of this review I chose to view the film with its DTS track and found it quite good, however it tended to favor the front speakers quite a bit, I was a little disappointed in the sense that the track did not provide a totally immersive quality. The music however is allowed the space of the full 5.1 experience and comes across very well indeed. Otherwise Im sure kids will get a kick out of this regardless of whether the track is immersive or not. Optional subtitles are also included in English for the hearing impaired only.
Extras
Buena Vista Home Entertainment has included a small selection of extras that includes a featurette, an interactive game for the kids and collection of bonus trailers. Below is a closer look at these supplements. First up we have the "Behind The Music Of Brother Bear 2" featurette which runs for 8 minutes 20 seconds. In this clip we hear from various crew and singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge as they discuss the inspiration for the songs and are taken albeit briefly through the writing and recording of the songs used in the film. Etheridge talks of her involvement in the project and how she was inspired to write more than just one song for it. The crew share their experiences in working with her and also how the score was written with her music cues in place. Overall it’s a short interesting piece that probably doesn’t deserve more than one viewing. Next up is an interactive game entitled "Trample Off, Eh?", in this game the Moose need your help to impress their lady Moose friends, answer a series of questions relating to the story, nature’s call and spring fever to earn ‘moose chips’ if you collect enough then the Moose can afford great seats at the Northern Lights show. The questions are easy enough and should keep your kids entertained and will likely learn a few things about the animal kingdom along the way. Rounding out the extras are a collection of bonus trailers for: - "The Little Mermaid" Special Edition DVD which runs for 1 minute 37 seconds. - "The Wild" which runs for 1 minute 40 seconds. - "The Fox And The Hound 2" which runs for 1 minute 38 seconds. - "Airbuddies" which runs for 30 seconds. - "Cars" which runs for 1 minute 7 seconds. - "Twitches" which runs for 1 minute 02 seconds. - "Cinderella III" which runs for 1 minute. - "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" which runs for 19 seconds. - "Enchanted Tales: A Kingdom of Kindness" which runs for 1 minute 11 seconds. Im rather disappointed in this miniscule collection of extras, it would have been nice to have at least included a making-of that takes us through the animation process. Otherwise its light fare for the kids.
Packaging
This DVD is packaged in a standard amaray case with a shiny cardboard slip-cover.
Overall
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