Given Kenai's prejudices about bears, he is extremely unhappy to be one himself, but soon he's getting bear lessons from little Koda (Jeremy Suarez), a cub who shows him the ropes. The opening scenes are in a conventional screen ratio of 1:85 to 1, but after Kenai becomes a bear, the colors deepen and the screen widens to 2:35 to 1, so you'd better hope your projectionist is on his toes. Denahi continues the family tradition of vengeance by tracking down Bear Kenai, in an irony that is positively Shakespearean, and no wonder, since I learn that this story was originally inspired by "King Lear," although the notion of three siblings seems to be all that survived. He succeeds, but the universe proves it has a sense of justice, or perhaps of humor, by transforming Kenai himself into a bear - so that Denahi assumes it was Bear Kenai who killed Kid Brother Kenai. Kenai is counseled by the tribe's wise woman Tanana (Joan Copeland) to accept this outcome as the will of the universe, but determines to kill the bear. Kenai doesn't like bears, and picks a fight with one that tries to steal his fishing catch he recklessly chases the bear, and when Sitka tries to protect him, the older brother is killed and is transformed into an eagle. Sitka wears an eagle, Denahi a wolf, and Kenai - well, Kenai gets a bear, and considers himself short-changed, especially when he's told that the bear represents the quality of love, which he considers pretty far down, so to speak, on the totem pole. Each wears a totem around his neck, representing the animal spirit he is identified with. Sweeney), strong-willed middle brother Denahi (Jason Raize) and the troublesome young Kenai (Joaquin Phoenix). We meet three brothers: brave older brother Sitka (voice by D.B. The story begins in a Native American tribe in the Pacific Northwest, thousands of years ago. Children and their parents are likely to relate on completely different levels, the adults connecting with the transfer of souls from man to beast, while the kids are excited by the adventure stuff. But it doesn't have the zowie factor of "The Lion King" or "Finding Nemo," and is sweet rather than exciting. It's ambitious in its artistry, incorporating images from prehistoric cave paintings and playing with the screen width. In their travels, Kenai and Koda meet a couple of hilarious moose (Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas) who provide comic relief to this otherwise heartrending family tale.īrother Bear: Entertaining, But Forgettable.ĭisney's "Brother Bear" is more mystical and New Age than your average animated movie about animals, although it does have a couple of talking moose and a cute cubby bear. Kenai must brave the wild, with only a little bear-cub brother, Koda (Jeremy Suarez), to guide him. Then, through a series of events, he is transformed into a bear. At a tribal ceremony the spirits give him the symbol of the bear, which stands for love. Kenai (Joaquin Phoenix) is a boy who longs to become a man but must learn a valuable lesson before he can achieve the maturity it requires. The story carries messages about the power of friendship and community, the difficulty of losing a loved one, and the highs and lows of growing up. There are rivers full of leaping salmon, forests inhabited by squirrels and chipmunks, and processions of giant wooly mammoths. Children will especially enjoy the animals in the film. From snowcapped mountains and glaciers to lush springtime forest scenes, the colorful drawings are dazzling and dreamlike. In Walt Disney Pictures' feature BROTHER BEAR, beautiful animation of the Pacific Northwest complements an upbeat musical score that includes songs by Phil Collins and Tina Turner.
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