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The Movie: I wasn't too fond of Disney's "Brother Bear", the studio's 2003 animated feature about a man changed into a bear as a result of his treatment of one of the creatures. The film was a little too sappy for its own good and suffered from rather slow pacing. While this direct-to-video sequel is still not without some concerns, it does offer a more involving, well-paced and less sentimental story. The movie once again follows bears Kenai (voiced by Patrick Dempsey this time around - Joaquin Phoenix was the voice in the original) - who was formerly human - and Koda (Jeremy Suarez). The two are going through the woods when they're confronted by human Nita (Mandy Moore), his old friend. Nita has just had her arranged marriage broken up by the spirits and she's informed by the local shaman (Wanda Sykes) that she must break the bond between her and Kenai. Reunited, the two (along with Koda) head to the place where Kenai gave Nita an amulet and destroy it. However, along the way they realize they still have feelings for one another. The story is, at the core, nothing particularly original, but it offers a good mix of inoffensive romance, adventure, drama and comedy as the group makes their journey. The happy ending certainly sets up another future sequel. The sequel's voice cast offers fine performances, especially Moore's spirited effort as Nita. Also returning are Rutt (Rick Moranis) and Tuke (Dave Thomas), the Moose from the first picture, although their role here is entirely to provide some mild comic relief. Surprisingly (given the film's direct-to-video origins), the picture's animation is quite pleasing. While not as smooth and striking as the visuals of the first film, the animation of this sequel is still fairly close in terms of quality. Overall, "Brother Bear 2" isn't particularly memorable, but it has its moments and improves - in some regards - upon the original. The DVD VIDEO: "Brother Bear 2" is presented by Disney in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The film's presentation here is generally first-rate, with sharpness and detail that remain consistently superb. The presentation's only concern is that it shows a few minor instances of edge enhancement. No print flaws or instances of artifacting were spotted. Colors appeared bright and rich, with nice saturation and no smearing or other concerns. SOUND: "Brother Bear 2" is presented by Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1. The film's soundtrack remained fairly forward-oriented throughout much of the film. However, the surrounds kicked in on a few occasions to offer some slight ambience, reinforcement of the music and the occasional effect. EXTRAS: A featurette on the film's music (Melissa Etheridge provides the songs) and an interactive game. Final Thoughts: "Brother Bear 2" isn't very memorable, but it is better than the average Disney direct-to-vid animated effort. The DVD provides fine audio/video quality, along with a couple of slight extras. Rent it. 
Film Grade The Film B- DVD Grades Video 91/A Audio: 88/B Extras: 70/C- |