135. Little Bear’s Big Trip; movie review

 

LITTLE BEAR'S BIG TRIP

Cert U

91 mins

BBFC advice: Contains very mild threat, violence, innuendo

Has creating an animated film become too easy?

When I was growing up, the release of a cartoon feature, as we knew them then, was a proper event and the detail of the likes of Jungle Book, Pinnochio, 101 Dalmatians, Lady and The Tramp etc was amazing.

Of course, Disney had cornered the market and its animators were top drawer as were those who voiced their beloved characters.

But most of all, the storylines were wonderful as were the earworm songs.

Unfortunately, Little Bear's Big Trip is common of too many modern equivalents - a clunky computer-generated animation. 

Sure, its characters are amiable enough but its storyline lacks ambition.

Natalya Nilova and Vasiliy Rovenskiy's movie stars Daniel Medvedev as the voice of Mic Mac, a grizzly bear who, frankly moans a lot.

The particular target for his displeasure is Oscar (Stephen Thomas Ochsner), a genius rabbit who steadfastly remains his best friend despite the incessant criticism.

When a baby bear is washed up on their lake, they join forces with a stork (David Andrew Grout) and panda (Arthur Cook) to deliver him to his parents.

Meanwhile,  his dad is a candidate at the American animals presidential election and his opponent, the villainous vulture (Bernard Jacobsen) is determined to stop the delivery.

It adds up to a slightly convoluted plot which could have worked better if the characters had been given a little more zip.

However, in my opinion, none of them endear themselves to the audience enough. Indeed, Mic Mac's bellyaching is not funny, it just grates.

And the movie's finale could be predicted after its opening 20 minutes.

On the plus side, the pace is sprightly enough to keep some kids entertained but, overall, there isn't enough here to ensure everyone's approval.

Reasons to watch: Amiable animation

Reasons to avoid: Not overly exciting storyline

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 5/10

Did you know? The idea of the baby-bringing stork was most firmly established in northern Europe, more than 600 years ago. It was common for couples to wed during the annual summer solstice, because summer was associated with fertility. At the same time, storks would commence their annual migration, returning the following spring nine months later.

The final word. Vasiliy Rovenskiy: "All situations in the movie are very close to the family audience. If in the first film our heroes have to taking care of a little baby, now they are travelling with a teenager (a grown-up baby Panda), which brings with it a lot of new funny situations."

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