There is a scene in Brother Bear where we learn what the Totem is for three brothers who are the main characters of this film. Each totem is both an animal and a particular value that will provide the strength for that character--sort of their destiny. It is not immediately apparent to each brother how they are to live up to the totem they have received or even if it was properly assigned--but in the end, each is fitting. Leaving this intriguing but badly mangled film, I thought that I knew what Disney's totem was.

No normal animal came to mind, but something more monstrous--because the idea that had come into my head was consistency, and I suppose the only creature that could stand for that is a hobgoblin. Yes, consistency. Foolish consistency. Here we have a perfectly good film with a surprisingly good plot destroyed in the same exact way that Disney has butchered virtually every other film they have made in the last decade or so. The movie isn't paint-by-numbers, but the interruptions, edits and dumb-downs are.

I think this is the worst kind of film. A film that every few minutes does something really compelling and then slaps you down the moment your hopes are up. The animation is even outstanding at times, but shows the rough edges we should expect for a project that was rushed to final production 6 months ahead of schedule, and then with no reward for its animators other than a pink slip. I guess the film is a tragedy in more ways than one.

Some of the backgrounds are top notch too, big glaciers and beautiful coniferous forests. But Disney's predictable interjection of bad comedy bits between highly emotional segments as usual doesn't work. Musical numbers, while not in themselves bad are equally inappropriate. I don't mean that musicals are a bad thing, but sometimes I felt like when Brother Bear wasn't quite sure how to do a scene it just went for the song instead. It's kind of the animated equivalent of Schwartzenegger's True Lies. It just couldn't be an action film, it had to keep stopping to throw in some visual gag right in the middle of a big scene. Not my favorite point of reference by any means, but I think you grasp my point. As in every other work by the big D, just at the point of really enjoying the film, its time for a fart joke, poop joke, etc.

Some might argue that this is 'inconsistency', but Disney does it so predictably and with such detrimental effect to its films, it can be nothing other than consistency. And with Disney's next to final animated film, Brother Bear shows once again all things wondrous and foul with US animation has become. It also shows that Disney is incapable of learning.

With heavy edits, I think there is still a good movie in Brother Bear (though I'd need to completely redo several segments to make it a great film.) Just ponder the plot: It's the myth of early northern people--the ancestors of our Inuit. We learn of three brothers who have each received those Totems I mention above. In the course of these events, the eldest brother is killed by a large bear, and the youngest (Kenai) sets off to kill the bear. In time he slays it, but this is not a good thing. The spirits (including the spirit of his deceased brother) haven't taken kindly to his selfish act of vengeance, being that the bear was a mother with cub, and transform him into a bear to care for her offspring. The movie plays this weird mythic-tragedy out pretty well since Kenai has no clue that the cub he is caring for was orphaned by his own hands--but of course, when the going gets rough, important dialogue is exchanged for limp Phil Collins numbers. Of equal interest is that the remaining brother now begins to hunt Kenai thinking him the murderous bear.

With a plot like this, there's plenty that could have been milked, unlike Disney's 'classic' Lion King that is as linear and short-sighted as a super-friends Saturday morning special. Both Kenai's realization of what he has done along with his eventual confession to the cub in his charge are points that could have been played out to great effect, but ultimately just end up being OK. I'm also equally distressed that the killing of the bear was done off-camera. I realize that's a Disney hallmark, and I'm not asking for blood and guts, but it is the pivotal point of the film--the damnation of Kenai's character (though Disney and I disagree on this point.) Couldn't we have even got a silhouette of Kenai's spear passing through the body of the bear and its great body collapsing to the ground? This might seem like a very minor point, but it is THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT POINT IN THE FILM! Breaking the rules even a little bit might have been a good thing.

Even sticking to the central plot (I will mention all the irrelevant subplots below), Disney further undermine the story with an absurdly happy ending. OK, maybe I want Shakespeare for children, but the whole story is by nature a tragedy, a morality play of how a single act of vengeance sets off a series of events that brings a character to his own ruination--and rebirth. If there is to be rebirth, it can only come with sacrifice and here is where Disney completely blows it.

In traditional children stories where a character (often a naughty boy) is transformed into an animal or some such thing, a series of challenges are put before him to redeem his entry into humanity (Langerloef's classic "Wonderful Adventures of Nils" makes a fine example). The transformation is of course symbolic of the rite of passage and it NEVER comes without personal sacrifice. Brother Bear however decides that its ending (after much lamentation) must be a happy one. Kenai decides to remain a bear (an interesting twist I like), but gets to come back and visit humanity, hanging out at parties, and generally getting the best of both worlds. Unfortunately the film didn't show us how Kenai's ancestors evolved into polar bears of our modern age which loiter around small encampments eating peoples' garbage. No, seriously, the ending stinks. I mean, everything is happy and good at the end, never mind how much the movie has to stick its head up its own butt to make that happen.

So, take those things, edit them down a bit, and I still think there's a good movie there. That's probably about 45 minutes. Hahaha! You knew it was coming. The rest of the film is just fluff and it isn't even particularly good, but it is a Disney movie, right? The most hideous thing I can remember is Kenai's genius idea to ride mammoths. How can a bear ride a mammoth? I've watched this film and I still don't know the answer. For some strange reason, other small woodland creatures decide to accompany them including Doug and Bob McKenzie in the form of two caribou. The scene detracts from the serious tone set otherwise and in many ways makes no sense, even putting the logistical problems aside. Another scene which upset me was the truly bewildering salmon fishing scene. Dozens of bears (which I thought to be solitary hunters) gathered to sing and prance around at the river hunting salmon. While up until this point, every other animal had been treated with the greatest respect, Brother Bear made quite clear that fish are food--not friends. There's nothing more surreal than watching a happy music number while bears rip fish into shreds and let their cubs wear the entrails like party hats.

I can't even remember all the other things that worked so hard to undermine this film. They wormed their way in about every three or four minutes. CONSISTENTLY. I am to a point of believing that there is a machine (or a machine in the form of a man, or a machine that believes he is a man) that tells the film makers when to insert the next clip of irrelevancy. Like some kind of living metronome, the new dismal fart gag appears, rising its ugly head for all to see! Worst yet, I think younger kids really aren't going to find entertainment in Brother Bear's comedic offerings. When Brother Bear wasn't being heavy, it just wasn't.

Well, these weren't the only problems I suppose. It's a problematic film after all; unsure of its target audience, it ends up being for no one. I'm not going to dissect it farther. The whole reason I'm writing about is because of the things that worked, because in amidst all the crap, there was a good film in there. Lost, confused, completely unsure of itself. It's why Disney troubles me so much. When I see a film like this I wonder if it would have been better if it had never been made. Leave it for another time, other people who will make it the film it should be. Now no one can do the Bear movie the RIGHT way. We're stuck with this film instead.

I want a happy ending for this review just like Brother Bear managed, but my body doesn't bend that way so I'll stop for now. I do recommend giving this one a single viewing--cheaply if possible. There's plenty of talent and really good moments to be had. And don't forget that there's only one more hand-animated movie left by Disney, so you might as well enjoy what's left while you may.

Oh, and for my last parting shot, pad your way on over to www.savedisney.com where you can watch Roy Disney plead, beg and even lob huge freakin' bombs at Michael Eisner to get the man to retire.

Thanks for the review Chris! If you would like to submit a review drop me a line at gleep9@hotmail.com. Once you're through here head on back to either the Third Movie or Main page.