# Does anyone else think "Brother Bear" looks exceptionally lame?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 24, 2003, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271 "2003-10-24T06:34:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2003, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/1 "2003-10-24T06:34:46Z")
Every preview I’ve seen, in the theatre and on television, for Disney’s new animated film, _Brother Bear_, leaves me absolutely unmoved by its mediocrity.
My impression of the film: take a trite story that’s been done before and probably better (try T.H. White’s _The Book of Merlyn_, for example), throw in some Phil Collins songs (from _Tarzan_ to this… huh?), and top off with some sidekicks, this time yet another blatant ripoff of [SCTV](http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/tv/comedy/sctv.htm)’s “Great White North” bit… and there you have it.
Looks like we’re headed back to the days of _Pocahontas_ and _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_ – the Disney formula at its worst.
I know, I know… I shouldn’t judge a whole film by its trailer. And yet, what else is there, until I actually spend the time, effort, and money to see the film? They don’t leave us much choice, and I can’t say that the trailer makes me want to rush to the theatre for this one.
I suspect it’s a renter. If that.
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### Author:  [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2003, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/2 "2003-10-24T06:38:03Z")
It does indeed look lame; however the sidekicks should be good. It’s Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas doing the voices so it’s the real McKenzie bros and not imposters :).
The end of the trailer was good:
“If you only see one movie this year…”
“Hey, they’re already at that movie!”
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### Author:  [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2003, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/3 "2003-10-24T06:56:54Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Silentgoldfish \*
> \*\*The end of the trailer was good:
>
> “If you only see one movie this year…”
> “Hey, they’re already at that movie!” \*\*
OK, I admit, that did make me chuckle. But that part’s obviously only in the trailer… still not much to go on for the actual movie.
I wasn’t aware that Moranis and Thomas were actually doing the moose voices. That makes me at least a little happier about that part, anyway.
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### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/4 "2003-10-24T07:17:09Z")
On the one hand, **Brother Bear** looks exceptionally lame. A half-assed remix of **Pocahonas** and **The Emperor’s New Groove,** but without the funny.
On the other hand, it’s from the same animation team that did **Mulan** and **Lilo & Stitch,** IMO two of the better Disney animated movies in the last few years (and they have been few and far between).
Eh, I’ll probably go see it, just because it’s rare for my family to get a movie that the entire family can go see. But it’s rather depressing to note that the end (for now) of hand-drawn animation from Disney might be this uninspiring film.
Good thing Disney’s still got Pixar pumpin’ out the hits for 'em, at least. 😉
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2003, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/5 "2003-10-24T07:27:48Z")
Yeah, that looks awful. And it’s not a good sign that the moose are more prominent in the advertising campaign than any of the main characters. And thank God, because that kid sidekick was particularly nauseating. Glad that’s not the face that’s getting plastered all over America’s theater lobbies.
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### Author:  [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/6 "2003-10-24T16:33:50Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by rjung \*
> **Eh, I’ll probably go see it, just because it’s rare for my family to get a movie that the entire family can go see.**
I might do the same, but my kids aren’t even remotely interested in it, from what I can tell. We saw trailers for _Return of the King_ and _Brother Bear_ at the same movie recently, and they’re far more interested in ROTK. _Brother Bear_ didn’t even merit a mention.
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by rjung \*
> **But it’s rather depressing to note that the end (for now) of hand-drawn animation from Disney might be this uninspiring film.**
Care to elaborate on this? Is _Brother Bear_ to be Disney’s last hand-animated film?
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### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/7 "2003-10-24T18:46:28Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Avalonian \*
> I might do the same, but my kids aren’t even remotely interested in it, from what I can tell.
I don’t think my almost-four-year-old has seen the trailer for it, but he likes cartoons and he likes bears, so maybe he’ll be interested. Only problem is that he dislikes dark theaters…
> [@](#):
>
> Is _Brother Bear_ to be Disney’s last hand-animated film?
That’s the scuttlebutt I heard – after **Atlantis: The Lost Empire** and **Treasure Planet** tanked, Disney decided to jump on the computer-animated bandwagon (read: Pixar), shifted everything to CGI, and told their animators to either get trained on the computers or get booted. **Brother Bear** got “spared” only because it was already far enough along that there wasn’t a point in scuttling it.
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### Author:  [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/8 "2003-10-24T20:08:30Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by rjung \*
> \*\*That’s the scuttlebutt I heard – after **Atlantis: The Lost Empire** and **Treasure Planet** tanked, Disney decided to jump on the computer-animated bandwagon (read: Pixar), shifted everything to CGI, and told their animators to either get trained on the computers or get booted. **Brother Bear** got “spared” only because it was already far enough along that there wasn’t a point in scuttling it. \*\*
Interesting info… hopefully Disney is aware of the fact that Pixar movies are successful because of great animation AND great stories. I was actually fine with Disney’s “old” animation style, it was their stories that needed work.
Seems like they’re sort of missing the point. Oh well.
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### Author:  [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/9 "2003-10-24T20:18:43Z")
Oh, you mean like Lucas?
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### Author:  [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/10 "2003-10-24T20:25:18Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Avalonian \*
> Is _Brother Bear_ to be Disney’s last hand-animated film? \*\*
Second to last. _Home on the Range_, due next spring, is the last hand-drawn film Disney has in production. Of course, if either of the two are huge hits, Dreamwork has a big hit with a hand-drawn feature, or a few more CG films bombs a la _Final Fantasy_, the pendulum could always swing back.
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### Author:  [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/11 "2003-10-24T21:14:32Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Avalonian \*
> \*\* Care to elaborate on this? Is _Brother Bear_ to be Disney’s last hand-animated film? \*\*
Not by a long shot, if their current plans stay on track. Here’s what’s in [the pipeline](http://www.disneycorner.com/modules.php?name=Disney_Future&file=wdp) .
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### Author:  [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/12 "2003-10-24T21:40:22Z")
Very difficult to form an opinion of a movie until I see it.
That doesn’t stop some people, tho.
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2003, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/13 "2003-10-24T21:42:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Avalonian \*
> **OK, I admit, that did make me chuckle. But that part’s obviously only in the trailer… still not much to go on for the actual movie.**
Actually, as I understand it, there’s a sequence of outtakes during the end credits, a la _Toy Story_ and _Bug’s Life_, wherein the animated characters crack up, acknowledge the camera, break the “reality” of the scene, and so on. Just seems spectacularly wrong-headed. Anyway, that moment is probably from those clips.
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### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2003, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/14 "2003-10-24T23:43:44Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by jsc1953 \*
> Not by a long shot, if their current plans stay on track. Here’s what’s in [the pipeline](http://www.disneycorner.com/modules.php?name=Disney_Future&file=wdp) .
That list is three months out of date, and doesn’t reflect current events, IIRC. I _know_ that **Chicken Little** is being retooled as a computer-animated movie, for instance.
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### Author:  [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/15 "2003-10-25T00:00:00Z")
My press screening for _Brother Bear_ is on Monday. I’ll let you know (and I fear the answer is yes).
I doubt Disney will completely abandon hand-drawn, but it is going to almost completely shift to the feature-films coming out of the TV animation division (like Return to Neverland and Recess).
But it happened before. There was a huge dry spell before _The Little Mermaid_ revived the genre.
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### Author:  [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/16 "2003-10-25T04:36:44Z")
I remember sitting there the first time I saw the preview, feeling my eyes rolling as much as they could. And then that Phil Collins song hit…I thought I was going to die. AND they had the obnoxious kid sidekick!
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### Author:  [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2003, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/17 "2003-10-25T07:56:48Z")
I just watched _Metropolis_ when it was on TV the other night.
After that, _all_ other animation looks exceptionally lame. Even the stuff I already like. Dang.
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2003, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/18 "2003-10-25T14:18:45Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Silentgoldfish \*
> \*\*It does indeed look lame; however the sidekicks should be good. It’s Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas doing the voices so it’s the real McKenzie bros and not imposters :).
> \*\*
Are these two beloved by Canadians for their SCTV McKenzie Brothers sketches, or reviled for portraying working class Canadians as easily distracted, hockey obsessed, weepily patriotic, beer guzzling caricatures that bring shame on all Canadians?
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### Author:  [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/19 "2003-10-25T14:43:39Z")
Is there any truth to the rumor that Disney needed permission from the Berenstains to use the phrase “Brother Bear?” At one point, they were planning to just call the film “Bears,” then reverted back to _Brother Bear_. The trademarks registered now are for “Disney’s Brother Bear,” which seems to differentiate it from the trademark of Berenstains, Inc. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was true.
[sub]The Berenstains, of course, have been writing books for four decades featuring a family of bears-the “Berenstain Bears”-one of which is named Brother Bear.[/sub]
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### Author:  [@Corixidae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corixidae)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-brother-bear-looks-exceptionally-lame/209271/20 "2003-10-25T16:33:12Z")
Yeah, **Brother Bear** does look kinda lame from the trailer alone.
I remember thinking **The Lion King** looked exceptionally dippy from its trailer, but I ended up liking it quite a bit. Disney has a peculiar affinity for releasing trailers that don’t always do its movies justice. I’m thinking I may be surprised as I’ve been before.
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