Brother Bear 2

Brother Bear 2

DVD cover of Brother Bear 2
Directed by Ben Gluck
Produced by Jim Ballantine
Carolyn Bates
Starring Patrick Dempsey
Mandy Moore
Benjamin Bryan
Jim Cummings
Michael Clarke Duncan
Jessie Flower
Wendie Malick
Andrea Martin
Rick Moranis
Kathy Najimy
Catherine O'Hara
Jeremy Suarez
Krista Swan
Wanda Sykes
Dave Thomas
Jack Weber
Dana Gonzales
Music by Matthew Gerrard
Dave Metzger
Robbie Nevil
Distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Release dates
  • August 9, 2006 (2006-08-09)
Running time
 73 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Brother Bear 2 is a 2006 American animated comedy-drama/fantasy film and the direct-to-video sequel to the animated feature Brother Bear and was released on DVD and VHS on August 29, 2006. Melissa Etheridge contributed three songs to the film. In the film, the adventures of bear brothers Kenai and Koda continue. While the first film dealt with Kenai's relationship with Koda, this one focuses more on his bond with a young human, Nita. Only five of the original characters return for the sequel including Kenai, Koda, Rutt, Tuke, and Tug excluding Denahi because Jason Raize committed suicide in 2004. But only four of those actors came back to do their original roles which include Jeremy Suarez, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, and Michael Clarke Duncan.

Jason Marsden, as heard in the first trailer, was originally announced to voice Kenai, voiced by Joaquin Phoenix in the first film, but according to Reuters, Patrick Dempsey ultimately voiced Kenai. However, the end credits still note him as one of the additional voices.[1]

This is also Rick Moranis' last role in a film before his hiatus from acting.

Plot

Picking up several months after the events of the first film, Kenai, now a cave bear, is living happily with his foster brother Koda. Having just awoken from hibernation, the bears begin traveling to Crowberry Ridge for the first berries of the season. However, Kenai is haunted by memories of his childhood friend Nita, to whom he gave a special amulet many years ago. Eventually, Kenai and Koda meet up with Nita, who wants to burn her amulet so she can marry Atka. However, she has to do it with Kenai to send the bond back up to the spirits. At first, Kenai refuses, but finally agrees. Nita misses Kenai, but does not tell him. Instead, she asks if he misses being human, and if he ever thought of changing back. He replies that he has thought about it. Koda, who heard it all, races up a mountain and is finally found by Nita. However, the two are then caught in an avalanche. Kenai digs them out and tells Koda he will never leave him.

They make it to Hokani Falls, where they burn the amulet. Without it, Nita can no longer understand animals, so she says goodbye. Koda asks his mother in the Spirit-land to turn Kenai back into a human so he can be happy. Koda goes to the village to retrieve Nita, but Kenai is told by Rutt and Tuke that Koda cannot go to the village because the residents will kill him. When Kenai makes it there, he gets into a fight with Atka. He falls off a cliff into shallow water, where the spirits come. Koda tells Kenai that he asked the spirits to change him back into a human. Kenai tells Nita that he cannot change because he cannot leave Koda, but Nita tells him that she can. As a result, she turns into a bear that has same coloring as Kenai, and they get married. The film ends with Kenai and Nita getting married and Rutt and Tuke finding mates, with the spirits changing the cave painting of the young Nita and Kenai into two bear cubs, since neither are human any more.

Voice cast

Reception

Brother Bear 2 received generally mixed reviews from critics, and the film currently holds a 50% in Rotten Tomatoes, and an average rating of 5.6/10 (based on 8 votes).[2] The film is the second direct-to-video sequel to have a higher rating on Rotten Tomatoes than its predecessor, with the first film being An Extremely Goofy Movie.

Enthusiastic reviews included those of 7M Pictures, which wrote "The kids will love “Brother Bear 2,” especially if they loved the first film. It has a good message and some decent scenes."[3] RealTalk Movie Reviews said "Although sequels -- even a few from Disney -- are often disappointing, this one is a keeper, mostly because of its charming story and extraordinary background music",[4] and DVDTalk's Brian Orndorf said "As money-grabbing animated product goes, "Brother Bear 2" rests nicely on a lowered expectation level, and is hardly an offensive affront to the first film. The texture and polish is deeply missed, but the characters are so strong and engaging, it still entertains."[5] David Cornelius of DVDTalk wrote "The story fails to impress, but everything else adds up in all the right ways to make up for it. The makers of "Brother Bear 2" break the curse of the Disney sequel and turn in a welcome effort."[6] Movie Metropolis said "When you consider that Disney meant this production strictly for the home and it probably didn't cost nearly as much as the first film to make or market, it's actually a superior product..."Brother Bear 2" may not be first-tier Disney filmmaking, but it is first-tier Disney animation, and that and the sweetness of the story line may be enough to keep even grown-ups entertained."[7]

Negative reviews came from Pablo Villaca of Cinema em Cena, who said "sad to say ... the magic of the first film and sensitivity were replaced by cliches, ridiculous story and cheap sentimentality."[8] Antagony & Ecstasy noted that it has a "weirdly adult-centered narrative" and concluded that "it's such a big, fluffy, nothing of a movie, as pointedly blank and inoffensive as the lazy, anonymous songs contributed by a slumming Melissa Etheridge".[9] Reef Film Reviews said "There's little doubt that Brother Bear 2, for the most part, comes off as an affable yet entirely needless piece of work, as filmmaker Ben Gluck, working from Rich Burns' script, is generally unable to wholeheartedly capture and sustain the viewer's interest - with the ongoing emphasis on stand-alone segments (eg the central trio run afoul of several violent raccoons) ensuring that the movie is only sporadically engaging."[10]

Soundtrack

Brother Bear 2
Soundtrack album by Various artists
Released August 15, 2006
Recorded 2006
Genre Pop, rock, soundtrack
Label Walt Disney

The soundtrack to Brother Bear 2 was released August 15, 2006. It is available only on digital outlets such as iTunes and walmart.com. It includes the following tracks:

  1. Dave Metzger – "Opening: Brother Bear 2" – 0:34
  2. Melissa Etheridge – "Welcome to This Day" – 2:40
  3. Dave Metzger – "The Dream" – 2:08
  4. Dave Metzger – "Father and Daughter" – 0:54
  5. Dave Metzger – "Nita Confesses Her Fear" – 0:55
  6. Melissa Etheridge and Josh Kelley – "Feels Like Home" – 3:30
  7. Melissa Etheridge – "It Will Be Me" – 3:35
  8. Dave Metzger – "Koda's Wish to the Spirits" – 1:38
  9. Dave Metzger – "I Love You Too" – 2:42
  10. Dave Metzger – "Nita's Transformation" – 1:23
  11. Melissa Etheridge and Josh Kelley – "Welcome to This Day [Reprise]" – 1:33

References

  1. ↑ "'Brother Bear' DVD Press Release" by Walt Disney Home Entertainment, "Walt Disney Home Entertainment", May 26, 2006, retrieved May 27, 2006
  2. ↑ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/brother_bear_2/
  3. ↑ http://www.7mpictures.com/inside/reviews/brotherbear2dvd_review.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.reeltalkreviews.com/browse/viewitem.asp?type=review&id=1831
  5. ↑ http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/23427/brother-bear-2/
  6. ↑ http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/23499/brother-bear-2/
  7. ↑ http://moviemet.com/review/brother-bear-2-dvd-review#.UybUd85IjrI
  8. ↑ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/brother_bear_2/
  9. ↑ http://antagonie.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/disney-sequels-knowing-i-can-face.html
  10. ↑ http://reelfilm.com/brobear.htm#2

External links

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