(2014 - April 18)
Documentary
1 hr. 17 min.
Rated: G
Grade: B+
Directors: Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey
Stars: John C. Reilly | See full cast and crew
In an epic story of breathtaking scale, Disneynature's new True Life Adventure "Bears" showcases a year in the life of a bear family as two impressionable young cubs are taught life's most important lessons. Set against a majestic Alaskan backdrop teeming with life, their journey begins as winter comes to an end and the bears emerge from hibernation to face the bitter cold. The world outside is exciting-but risky-as the cubs' playful descent down the mountain carries with it a looming threat of avalanches. As the season changes from spring to summer, the brown bears must work hard to find food-ultimately feasting at a plentiful salmon run-while staying safe from rival male bears and predators, including an ever-present wolf pack. "Bears" captures the fast-moving action and suspense of life in one of the planet's last great wildernesses-Alaska! Directed by Alastair Fothergill ("Earth," "African Cats" and "Chimpanzee") and Keith Scholey ("African Cats"), "Bears" arrives in theaters April 18, 2014, to celebrate Earth Day.(c) Disney
Cute, cuddly, adorable baby animals, breathtaking scenery, what's not to like here? How can this not be a home run? Yet Disneynature seems to have only hit a triple with Bears...a good thing but there's still no run scored. Watching the trailers these past several months gets you all excited to see the film but then it doesn't live up to the hype. It's good but it needed something more, perhaps a little better narration, that's not to say that the delivery by John C. Reilly is bad, yes it is a bit corny at times, but ultimately it's just not that interesting. The story is lacking. 
The mother bear, Sky,
which they eventually describe as the perfect role model for her cubs
habitually makes one mistake after another (apparently in an effort to
make the story dramatic), she puts her cubs in peril again and again. I
really wanted to be charmed by this film and quite simply, I wasn't. Bears
fizzled to an end that left me thinking...that was it? Even the
spectacular Alaskan scenery became less moving as the film wound down to
its lackluster conclusion. Good but not great. Like it's predecessor from Disneynature, Chimpanzee, it was a bit of a disappointment.
Behind the scenes, the making of Bears.
Cast
| Narrator (voice) |
