? A citified, or perhaps sissified, bear (voice of Martin Lawrence) reluctantly befriends a wimpy deer (Ashton Kutcher) when a hunter threatens both of them. Debra Messing voices the bear’s human companion.
+ Lawrence has a
pretty good bear voice and is a lot more appealing than in his usual comedies.
The supporting characters are fairly amusing, particularly the crazed hunter
(Gary Sinise). The dialogue has a minimum of annoying pop-culture references.
Paul Westerberg, formerly of the Replacements, contributes non-sappy songs.
- Even kids must be
getting tired of all these animated movies about animals deciding between the
joys of domestication and the call of the wild. Just since April there’s been The
Wild and Over the Hedge. And the pairing up of the cranky bear with
the overeager deer is a not unlike, for example, the pairing of Manny and Sid
in Ice Age. As with nearly all recent American animated movies, the male
animals overwhelmingly dominate the story.
= *** Hunters might
be offended by their portrayal here, but kids should like the way the animals
turn the tables on them. The movie’s frequently funny, but in ways that will
appeal more to youngsters than adults.
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