What makes the 2003 release, Brother Bear, so successful is what made the string of Disney films in the Nineties so successful: the animation. Though the so-called Disney Renaissance was over by the time Pocahontas came and went, what had happened was a marked decline in quality. The cause of the decline? Greed.
In its eagerness to capitalize on the new demand for Disney's films, the Mouse committed the cardinal sin that kills all businesses: it overreached. While it had taken nearly four years to craft Beauty and the Beast, the next string of films came out roughly every year or two thereafter. In order to keep up with the perceived demand, they hired on new animators and farmed out the work.
When the Mouse took the time to properly voice, animate, and market Brother Bear, the public responded accordingly. The film was a box office success -- only rivaled by its DVD grosses -- but the critical response was mixed. This is a classic example of how the public responds favorably to a film, while the critics drag their feet. The notable exceptions were Ebert and Roeper, who gave the film a positive review.
The Native American iconography and spirituality rubbed some audience members the wrong way. Specifically, it bothered the Christian Right. Reviews published by conservative publications had a problem with putting human beings on the same footing as the animal kingdom. I suspect the film's story successfully begged the question: is an animal's life any less significant or meaningful than a human beings?
As of this piece, there are more than 6 million copies of Brother Bear circulating around the planet. It's managed to become one of the Disney classics, on par with Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and the rest. If you think you would like to own a copy of this film, you can now order an HD quality version it directly from Disney.
In its eagerness to capitalize on the new demand for Disney's films, the Mouse committed the cardinal sin that kills all businesses: it overreached. While it had taken nearly four years to craft Beauty and the Beast, the next string of films came out roughly every year or two thereafter. In order to keep up with the perceived demand, they hired on new animators and farmed out the work.
When the Mouse took the time to properly voice, animate, and market Brother Bear, the public responded accordingly. The film was a box office success -- only rivaled by its DVD grosses -- but the critical response was mixed. This is a classic example of how the public responds favorably to a film, while the critics drag their feet. The notable exceptions were Ebert and Roeper, who gave the film a positive review.
The Native American iconography and spirituality rubbed some audience members the wrong way. Specifically, it bothered the Christian Right. Reviews published by conservative publications had a problem with putting human beings on the same footing as the animal kingdom. I suspect the film's story successfully begged the question: is an animal's life any less significant or meaningful than a human beings?
As of this piece, there are more than 6 million copies of Brother Bear circulating around the planet. It's managed to become one of the Disney classics, on par with Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and the rest. If you think you would like to own a copy of this film, you can now order an HD quality version it directly from Disney.
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Should you like to see Disney rising from the ashes, you would do well to rent or purchase Brother Bear as soon as possible.
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