Expected more

Disturbing yet enthralling

A Masterpiece!

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

I wouldn't recommend watching this movie, it just felt lazily put together and the whole movie was so predictable. You cant really figure out Nita, there's no back story to her except her tie to Kenai and that her mother died. Other than that, her character wasn't developed at all. Koda was ignored most of the time, and although Kenai liked Nita you couldn't really see why he did, and why the 'amulet' had any real meaning to it when it wasn't all that special looking to begin with. Kenai just sorta handed it to her, there wasn't any back story as to why the amulet was special to him, if he made it by hand for her, or if it was his mothers or something. Just seemed like a plain wooden necklace to me. On the first movie there were several characters, that even though they had not much dialogue it made the movie seem much more interesting and funny, but in the sequel there's only Nita, Kenai and Koda,and occasionally the two moose brothers. This movie had nothing emotional about it, and to be honest, I wouldn't watch it again.

Yes, I do watch the occasional Disney film. No, I'm not ashamed to admit it. Maybe YOU should be ashamed for being so judgmental now. HARUMPH.Anyway, this is a Direct-To-Video sequel to perhaps one of the company's lesser known efforts, Brother Bear. This follow-up obviously can't afford Phil Collins on songwriting duty again, and so hires a couple of singers called Melissa Etheridge and Josh Kelley to do a few ditties. And, very nice they are too. The animation as well is a noticeable downgrade from the original, but this is par for the cause with a reduced budget. Joaquin Phoenix doesn't return as Kenai, either, though unless you watched both films back-to-back, you'd be hard pushed to tell the difference.Where this film REALLY scores though, is the friendship triangle that develops between the former human (now a bear) Kenai, the girl he was SUPPOSED to marry (before his transformation) Nita, and the young cub he adopted in the first movie, Koda. Nita wants to annul the original matrimony arrangement (I mean who'd want to get hitched to an egotistical ursine jerk? Maybe some people... But not in a Disney movie...) so the three go on a journey together to burn some 'ancient amulet' to achieve that goal... Bickering, arguing and eventually bonding all the way.What follows won't come as a surprise to anyone... (In fact, I knew the ending before viewing. So hard to avoid spoilers these days...) but the camaraderie between the trio is infectious, and their emotional discoveries which erupt during their trek keeps you watching. There is also a couple of comedic moose to be found who are desperate for Kenai's help in obtaining mates (One of them is voiced by Rick Moranis in his last ever role before retiring from acting. WE'LL MISS YA BUDDY!!). Not exactly hilarious, but an okay sidetrack from the main plot on occasion.Overall, I even prefer it to the first one. GASP!! At around 70 minutes in length, there's bearly (ha ha) any padding, and you can watch it in the morning, and still have enough for Fireman Sam, fingerpainting, and a trip to the park (BECAUSE YOUNG KIDS NEED EXERCISE TOO). Of course, this assumes you're watching it with very small children... I dare say, if you're comfortable in your own status as a masculine male who doesn't put much stock in the opinions of others... It sure beats the heck out of a movie marathon featuring 'the muscles from Brussels'. Gender stereotyping be darned.... 6/10

This is the second movie to the tale of brother bear, and I actually think it picks up well from where the first leaves off even though it seems to downgrade from there. The story turns into a rather big sitcom of a girl and her ex-boyfriend having to learn to deal with each other. Neather of them want to show how much they like the other and yet everyone around them pretty much figures out what is going on.I feel that Nita is way to much like some other strong Disney characters like Mulan and that makes it hard to see her as another character. I keep seeing her as Mulan and it messes me up, especially when they mess up the stereotype of that sort of character. I don't mean mess it up so it's not a stereotype, I mean mess it up so that it makes no sense. I do have to say that I feel sorry for Koda a lot because he pretty much was forgotten for most of the show when Nita shows up. It's really a sad time and yet, feels really predictable. You have a small child that was pretty much a big part of the first movie only to be brushed aside in the second because a girl shows up. You could say that in that way, its rather real but I say that it just feels forced. Even the ending feels really predictable.The artwork is as beautiful as the first one though the bears seem to lack slightly. They are way too bright for the world around them that looks a lot more shuttle. Bears are kind of supposed to blend in a little more with there surroundings, not look like they were plastered into it. Sadly, the characters look really Asian instead of cave men or native American and Nita looks a lot like Mulan in that. I just kept wondering if the person that drew Mulan was drawing the people. It just feels strange.The music is wonderful, giving the feeling of the scene they want to imply. The voices are pretty good, one or two kind of fall short but still work pretty nice. I'm not sure about the old wise woman who sounds Jamaican rather then caveman. Kenai also doesn't sound like how he was before. He sounds more annoyed.I did enjoy the work but it really did not work well like the first did. So many things seemed to lack that I can't give it a high rating.

Honestly, this film really disappoints me. Compared to the first one, this so-called second film has less music and songs than the first one that can really grab my heart, the drawings and effects are so lame, and the story is too weak to touch me. In the first one, I almost cried when Kenai decided to be a bear and live with Koda, what he did to company the smallish bear really touched me. But this "love" ending couldn't grab my heart. I love Disney, but I really would rather they stick with the first one. Keep those fantastic songs. Yes, I want to emphasize the songs in the first film. They are way to better than those in the second. Quite disappointed.