288. Boonie Bears: Back To Earth (Xiong chu mo: Chong fan di qiu); movie review

 

BOONIE BEARS BACK TO EARTH (XIONG CHU MO: CHONG FAN DI QIU)

Cert PG

97 mins

BBFC advice: Contains mild fantasy violence, threat

Apparently, the Boonie Bears' animations are aimed at children between eight and 12.

In other words, I am 50 years too old to appreciate them and their makers probably won't give a fig that I struggled to keep up with latest film in the franchise.

This tale about a bear who teams up with an alien cat against a megalomaniac who is trying to take over and destroy the world is a bit of a mind-bender.

Nevertheless, it has been a global hit which has brought in more than $150m.

Huida Lin's movie focuses on a well-meaning but clumsy Bramble (voiced in the English-dubbed version by Joseph S. Lambert). 

He is given superpowers by a mysterious cube which falls from space and transpires to be an alien craft.

After initial confrontations, he joins forces with its pilot - the aforementioned moggie (Sara Secora).

However, misunderstandings put him at odds with his friends and they are left behind when Bramble and the feline battle to save the planet.

Confused? Yes, me too.

Anyway, the storyline is progressively whackier and more aggressive, transforming an amiable tale about a friendly bear to one in which he must conquer a demon.

For me, that jarred but I guess that kids nowadays simply flick away if they don't get intense action from their movies.

That's a shame - I liked the innocent bear and wanted him to stay that way.

Reasons to watch: Fast-paced animation

Reasons to avoid: Convoluted plot

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 4.5/10

Did you know?  Boonie Bears was first shown in January 2012 and became the most popular children's show in China. More than 600 thirteen-minute episodes have been produced. 

The final word. Daisy Shang, CEO of Fantawild Animation: "We believe that this film will achieve a great success among our audience because of our continuous sincerity and dedication in storytelling and production." Senal News

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