Cinema review: Brother Bear (From Barry And District News)

Cinema review: Brother Bear

Disney's latest animated film Brother Bear is a myriad of colours and is surprisingly mystical and new age.

It's the end of the last Ice Age and young Native American Kenai (voiced by Joaquin Phoenix) is being inducted into his tribe as a man. Kenai and his brothers Sitka (voiced by D B Sweeney), and Denahi (voiced by Jason Raize), are given a totem to wear - a symbol of their animal spirits.

Sitka gets an eagle, Denahi a wolf, but Kenai is furious when he gets a bear. The situation is exacerbated when, because of Kenai's negligence, a bear steals a salmon they caught for dinner.

Foolishly, he heads off to kill the bear and his brothers follow him. The bear attacks and Sitka sacrifices his own life to save his brothers and then magically turns into his eagle spirit.

Kenai swears to take revenge on all bears and kills the main the culprit, but magically he is transformed into a bear. In turn, Denahi sets out to kill the bear he mistakenly thinks slaughtered his brother.

The story starts on a serious note that tots couldn't possibly understand. Children may get fidgety early and then not be able to focus when the story becomes more intelligible and fluffy.

There is a cute little bear called Kota (voiced by Jeremy Suarez), but sadly even he can't lift this dull production.

If you go, stay throughout the credits, as there are some very jolly out takes.