Rated TV-Y7
Now Available on VOD. Premieres on Cartoon Network on September 7. In the summer of 2015, Cartoon Network introduced us to the world of brothers Grizz (Eric Edelstein), Panda (Bobby Moynihan), and Ice Bear (Demetri Martin) with We Bare Bears. It’s a series that depicts their day-to-day lives in the city of San Fransisco. It didn’t rely on extensive world building or weird humor. It’s all about the brothers and their quest to be accepted by the community around them, which made it among the best of the station’s properties. This takes us to their first feature length adventure. As people grow increasingly tired of the bears’ antics, they attract the ire of an agent of the Department of Wildlife Control known as Trout (Marc Evan Jackson). With the threat of being sent to a nature reserve against their will, the bears decide it’s time to find a new home; and what better place than the nation of Canada, who treats bears like companions rather than nuisances. Their journey to find acceptance makes for one of the most heartwarming films produced by Cartoon Network. We Bare Bears: The Movie manages to capture the sweet and hilarious themes of the series while applying them to a darker tone that allows said themes to be more directly dealt with. The studio never really delves into dark, relevant topics much, so it’s great to have something that feels dramatically involving while still starring characters we know and love. One of the immediate problems that plague movies based on kid shows is a lack of proper storytelling. Most feel like over-extended episodes of their respective shows that aren’t really that deep thematically. We Bare Bears manages to be more than this, with a multi-layer script that has more going on in it than it appears on the surface. At least, more so than other films like it. This is evident in its exploration on how the main characters became who they are, specifically Grizz. A lot of the film revolves around his attempts to make things better between his bros and human society, which are usually selfish, poorly planned, and end up failing. Over the course of the movie, he learns that he can’t truly help unless he thinks of others first. This was his main character flaw throughout the series, and this film offers a satisfying closure to that arc. But the other thing this film does well is handling its social commentary. Many kid shows these days dive head first into criticizing social issues, and We Bare Bears was no different. It tackled issues such as racial discrimination and learning to fit in with the crowd. The only difference is that this show managed to weave these ideas into the plots of the episodes without feeling like they were smacking us over the head. The movie accomplishes this as well. Even though these themes are dealt with in a more head-on manner than the show, they still feel woven into the narrative and don’t feel like we’re being force fed these thoughts. It’s a refreshing break from the usual kid fare that doesn’t even hesitate to do that, which makes them feel niche and (at times) a little mean spirited. But there’s nothing mean spirited about this movie. This is also helped by the performances of the three leads. Much like the series, Edelstein, Moynihan, and Martin have an infectious chemistry that elevates their respective characters and create a believability in their dynamic as brothers. And in this film, they imbue a level of emotion in their roles that they never fully tried in the series, and pull it off flawlessly. The characters just wouldn’t be as charming as they are without these three voicing them. We Bare Bears: The Movie is another short slice of family-friendly entertainment for our seemingly relentless dark times. Its trio of bear brothers set off on a journey that’s equal parts silly and heartwarming, and acts as a satisfying conclusion to the series; since this is labelled as the official series finale. With a runtime of only 69 minutes, this is a nice reprieve from the nastiness of the world that’s worth the time of both kids and adults.
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