Brother Bear

Mermaid Kelly · Post by **Mermaid Kelly** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 3:02 pm

The more I am seeing, the more I am starting to think it might be pretty good.

Also they have these adorable stuffed bears at the Disney Store! I want little Koda!

Choco Bear · Post by **Choco Bear** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 10:24 pm

well its official i am really really scared now its at 9 roten and 2 good

for those who live in la and new york could u pleases tell us what u think about the film when and if u see it this weekend thanx

well i gues all i can do is cross my fingers

Jake Lipson · Post by **Jake Lipson** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 8:46 am

I just got my weekly theater count email from Box Office Mojo. In addition to providing today's confirmed theater counts they included an estimate for next week's releases. Their estimate is that Brother Bear will open wide in 2,700 theaters on Saturday, November 1, in addition to the two theaters it's playing in today, bringing its estimated total to 2,702 theaters for opening weekend. I'm not sure if this is screen count or just theater count. I was hoping for somewhere around 3000+ theaters in opening weekend, but 2,700 is still a very nice number and the film will be accessable to a lot of people. Also, this is the widest of next week's big releases.

By comparison, Fox's Alien DC will be in just 324 theaters on 10/29, while Mirimax is bowing The Human Strain in 800 theaters on Halloween and Sony's In the Cut will be in 800. These are just estimates but with these numbers I'd expect Brother Bear to run away with the #1 spot for next weekend. There are also a couple limited releases out next weekend but they're in such small theater counts they won't pose a threat to Brother Bear's #1 debut, the first #1 debut for a Disney animated classic in recent memory.

Yay!

I'll keep you all posted with official theater counts when they arrive next Friday and I'll track the count's changes over the course of the film's run, too.

All together now -- IF YOU CARE, SEE BROTHER BEAR!

Choco Bear · Post by **Choco Bear** » Sun Oct 26, 2003 2:58 pm

Two Thumbs Up! for Brother Bear

Well Ebert and Roper gave it the good ol 2 thumbs up! Roper saying it was superb disney movie with all the elemnts of one in it which makes it good as well as the tale between koda and kenai, and Ebert said it was good but not great but he really enjoyed the movie and the relationship between the two bears

Maerj · Post by **Maerj** » Sun Oct 26, 2003 3:10 pm

I give it two thumbs up as well... so that makes 4 thumbs up so far!

2099net · Post by **2099net** » Mon Oct 27, 2003 1:53 am

Trust me guy, reviews don't matter anyway. Anyone with children who wants to see a Disney film will see it regardless of the reviews. It's like Jason vs Freddy. Most papers posted negative reviews (as expected) but people who wanted to see it, still saw it. All these people needed to see was "Jason" and "Freddy" and they were sold. Just as I hope lots of people are sold on the "Disney" name.

The only exception was Treasure Planet - and I feel this was down to Disney themselves badmouthing the film and all the media exposure of this within days of the film opening. I mean, who goes to see a film is the filmmakers themselves call it a 'write off' within days of opening?

Brother Bear has no competition for a few days, and then Looney Tunes Back in Action kicks in. And, I think LT may pull in the audience because the 'adults' may think of themselves more willing to see a Looney Tunes film (perhaps not if they remember Space Jam - but Pluto Nash didn't stop them going to see Daddy Day Care, so anything is possible). Personally I do expect LT to be better - but only as it's directed by a hero of mine. But even Brother Bear and Looney Tunes are aimed at 2 different audiences. I'm digressing again now. The point is, any family with children who want to go to the theater to see a movie will go and see Brother Bear regardless while there is no competition. Reviews will have minimal effect on turnout.

2099net · Post by **2099net** » Mon Oct 27, 2003 4:52 am

Well, this review must take the cake. What a stupid, offensive review.

http://filmfreakcentral.net/screenrevie ... erbear.htm

Look at the "comedy" caption for the picture.

Deeply unentertaining and, at its heart of hearts, a quintessential example of a dishonest picture, Disney's Brother Bear is rock-bottom entertainment destined to be Pixar's best bargaining chip. It plugs bears and moose into a formula already plumbed Disney-style with lions and meerkats (and once before again with Earth Children stereotypes of Native Americans), boiling an entire culture and mythology down to an insultingly reductive pastiche and taking swipes at women along the way to telling one of the most inapplicable codas in the history of fable: "The story of a boy who became a man by becoming a bear."

It's rich that they're complaining about Brother Bear 'plundering' Disney's past while praising Pixar. Hello? Am I the only one? All the Pixar movies have a basic formula (except perhaps A Bug's Life - which is a basic retelling of a classic film "The Seven Samari" anyhow - how original is that?) - they're all buddy movies! All the Pixar films bar A Bug's Life have a strong "mismatched" Buddy relationship as the key throughout the film! Pixar have a formula that they like to repeat... they just hide it better.

So how come Disney are plundering their past (which let's face it, they're bound to do being as they have more past) to rehash an existing formula and Pixar aren't?

On a more proximate level, the film presents its world as full of sentient animals before indulging in what can only be described now as a sadistic slaughter of salmon by its coterie of cuddly grizzlies. Why is every creature in this world capable of speech and thought except for the bear's prey, the corpses of which are used in a grotesque puppet show and as the "conch" in a storytelling roundelay?

What? Is this scraping the bottom of the barrel or what? I've never heard such nonsense.

I give up. No matter what Disney do, it's fashionable to bash them. Too Original. Too formula. Too much story. Not enough story. Appeals to boys Only. Appeals to girls only. The list never ends. - oh and Mr Critic, the backgrounds are supposed to be flat - they're painted!

Thankfully like I posted above, I doubt reviews have much impact on family audiences.

Maerj · Post by **Maerj** » Mon Oct 27, 2003 12:29 pm

That's just plain unbelievable! Thanks for posting that Netty, that's just... I dunno. I just can't believe someone would type something that inane in a professional review. It does make me think about the showing I saw tho and the fact that the reviewers didn't even show up. Maybe there is more of that going on than we thought?

2099net · Post by **2099net** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 1:56 am

It's wierd isn't it? Brother Bear is getting worse reviews than Disney's "worst ever" animated film Treasure Planet did. Even now, I cannot imagine what was going through Disney's head when they virtually disowned Treasure Planet after being on general release for a few days.

Still, it just goes to show critics reviews, box office and/or studio expectations have no bearing on people's enjoyment of a movie. Ignore the critisisms, ignore the hype (in fact, I encourage everyone to ignore the hype for any 'event' movie) - just pick and see movies you think you will enjoy. And after you've seen them, decide yourself if you enjoyed it or not. Don't just parrot the "accepted wisdom" of others, decide yourself.

michelle · Post by **michelle** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 6:31 am

2099net wrote:Ignore the critisisms, ignore the hype ... Don't just parrot the "accepted wisdom" of others, decide yourself.

It is a critics job after all to be critical (well duh michelle!) and then make a judgement.

I mean ... if a critic wrote 'well i have no particular opinion on this movie, it's okay, see it if you want, etc' ... its not going to garner up much interest hey?

like they say ... any publicity is good publicity?

2099net · Post by **2099net** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 7:12 am

What I mean is, sure use the reviews for a general guide, but don't assume a review will reflect your opinion. Only one person can decide if a film appeals to you - you yourself.

Besides, some of those Brother Bear reviews are downright nasty, seemingly with little cause. I think that there is some sort of hidden agenda behind some of them - either they simply think 2D is old-fashioned or they think after the success of Nemo and Pirates, Disney deserves to be knocked down a peg or two. I don't know! But some reviews seem to be unkind with very little reasoning or explanation.

michelle · Post by **michelle** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 7:29 am

i actually agree with you ... (although it may have sounded like i didn't) hmm ... there has been some kind of vendetta against 2D and Disney as of late ... one reason probably being the 'rise and rise' of 3D and Pixar ... especially with Nemo...

*ok...straying off topic*

all the more reason to see *buzz word* Brother Bear and save traditional animation!

Jens · Post by **Jens** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 10:10 am

People are just getting spoiled with better movies than Brother Bear. Amazing animated movies like Finding Nemo will always rise against 2d-animted movies. People can compare to 3d movies now, they couldn't when The Lion King was released. If The Lion King would be released this year it wouldn't be all good like it was in 1994. From what I have seen, this is a great story and a great movie for 2d, people will just critisize it because it's not following the hype of 3d movies.

Oh well, I'm gonna see it when it gets here

PatrickvD · Post by **PatrickvD** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 10:49 am

Jens wrote:People are just getting spoiled with better movies than Brother Bear. Amazing animated movies like Finding Nemo....

I'm sorry but I though Finding nemo was'nt THAT great, i mean two fish asking directions for a whole film isnt my idea of a powerful animated films... Look at what disney Florida produced, Mulan, Lilo & Stitch and now Brother Bear. I don't think 2d is dead, its audience is 'dead', if they'd rather go see finding Nemo and Shrek 2 than i'm not gonna see much animated films the coming years...

oh and its not that i dislike Finding Nemo, i'm only saying its a little overrated... but thats just my opinion

Jens · Post by **Jens** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 11:30 am

I'm not talking about the story actually. When I first saw Finding Nemo I was amazed how real the ocean looked and how detailed everything was. (that and dory

). I didn't say that 2d is dead, but with no audience there won't be a 2d anymore later

BasilOfBakerStreet427 · Wed Nov 05, 2003 3:01 pm

It's just getting bad reviews because it's a kids movie.What did they expect? Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Or Underworld. Or Freddy vs. Jason.

Prince Adam · Post by **Prince Adam** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 3:06 pm

And Nemo isn't all that "nice to look at". Compare its ocean atmosphere to Ariel's. Whose is more beautiful? Ariel's!

Who cares if Nemo looks more realistic? Isn't animation supposed to be an illusion of life?

PLus, the story's too episodic. It only got laughs from me, and a movie can't survive on laughs alone.

PheR · Post by **PheR** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 3:45 pm

Prince Adam wrote:a movie can't survive on laughs alone.

Believe me, in this world, sure it can...ask Shrek

Maerj · Post by **Maerj** » Wed Nov 05, 2003 9:43 pm

Jens wrote:I'm not talking about the story actually. When I first saw Finding Nemo I was amazed how real the ocean looked and how detailed everything was. (that and dory ). I didn't say that 2d is dead, but with no audience there won't be a 2d anymore later

But is the point of animation merely to try to look as photo realistic as possible? I think there is still an audience for 2D animation, Brother Bear is doing pretty well so far. But saying that Nemo's animation is better than Brother Bear's is really comparing apples and oranges.

I think that people look at the CG films more as special effects movie than animated ones. Perhaps that is the reason for their cross generational appeal? They don't feel like they are going to go see a kid's movie, they are going to an adult film that is being told threw 100% special effects? I don't know, just a theory.

Jens · Post by **Jens** » Thu Nov 06, 2003 2:07 am

The general public doesn't "render" like we do. They don't know what's the difference between 3d and 2d. Ok, some of them know. But lots of them don't know, or don't care. I can't explain why it looks amazing, but it looks amazing NOW and I think Brother Bear would have looked amazing in 1994 next to TLK but now it's really a mouse against an elephant. People still look at the story too yeah, but a lot of people I know say that it's like TLK, it's like Tarzan, it's like... I really hate that! I haven't seen it myself yet, but I don't think it's anywhere near these movies.

Anyway, we see the animated movies differently, it's no wonder that we KNOW what Brother Bear really is and how great it is, but they don't know that.

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