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Review #261 of 365
Film: Open Season Imax® 3D (2006) [PG] 100 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $07.00
Where Viewed: United Artists Colorado Center 9 & IMAX, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 29 September 2006
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Directed by: Roger Allers (The Lion King) & Jill Culton & Anthony Stacchi
Written by: Steve Bencich (Chicken Little) & Ron J. Friedman (Brother Bear)
Featured Voice Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Martin Lawrence (Big Momma's House 2) • Ashton Kutcher (The Guardian & The Butterfly Effect) • Gary Sinise (The Forgotten) • Debra Messing ("Will & Grace") • Billy Connolly (Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties) • Georgia Engel ("Everybody Loves Raymond") • Jon Favreau (The Break-Up)
Soundtrack: Download now from 
- or - order the CD soundtrack below
Also Available: Download the video for the film's song, "I wanna lose control (uh oh)", from
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
First, let's make one thing clear right off the bat, "Open Season" is nothing more than a polite way to say "Hunting Season", and as much as the writers, animators, and directors have worked to produce a delightful, kid-friendly, animated film featuring cuddly forest creatures, make no mistake, this is really a movie about animals trying to protect themselves from being hunted. If the film's makers were trying to make an anti-hunting film to program kids from an early age that animals have feelings too and don't want to be hunted, then maybe the film is successful in that, but as for being a charming animated film for kids with a great message, uh uh. Which, is disappointing, because the film is being heavily marketed to little kids. Teenagers and grown-ups will find little here to enjoy except the technology again in the IMAX® 3D version, as was true for The Ant Bully is marvelous—a 3D film nut's dream come true. Ashton Kutcher and Martin Lawrence fans need not bother. Listening to their voices for 100 minutes is just not the same. These two actors, in particular, are all about facial expressions going with their voices, and these just don't come through in the same way via a mangy mule deer and a domesticated grizzly bear.
"Given all the potential the talent involved, it is too bad the movie had to turn out this way."
The story concerns an unlikely relationship between an abandoned baby bear named Boog (voiced by Martin Lawrence) rescued and raised in her garage by a kindly forest ranger named Beth (voiced by Debra Messing). As he grows up, he becomes bigger and bigger, but tamer and tamer to the point of being able to put on shows for visitors to the national park. He also saves the life of a scrawny deer named Elliot (voiced by Ashton Kutcher) who then feels the need to return the favor by rescuing him from captivity not realizing Boog loves his life in the lap of luxury with 8 meals a day, a wonderful bathroom, a cuddly toy bear, and a 'mother' who sings him the Teddy Bear Picnic (down load now from ) as he falls to sleep. After some convincing and a "Yummy Bar", Elliot lures Boog out of confinement and into a convenience store which the two end up demolishing as they partake of every goodie in the place. Eventually, the Sheriff arrives and takes Boog home. Elliot escapes. This prompts, however, the Sheriff to recommend that Beth return Boog to the wild before he wreaks any more havoc on the town. She remains unconvinced until Boog and Elliot terrorize an entire audience full of park visitors and the crazy hunter of the town decides to tries to shoot him. Sorry to be the bearer of the bad news, parents and guardians, but there is a lot of attempted shooting of the animals, which most will find inappropriate for children. Once in the forest, there's a lot of attempted bonding between Boog and Elliot, whom Boog blames for causing he to be evicted from his comfy home and friendship with Beth. Eventually, Boog causes all the 'forest friends' to be washed into a river, over a waterfall, and down into the hunters' favorite spot. This catalyzes the need to defend them selves. Hunters definitely come across as the chief villains of the film.
In the end, which is a pretty good ending despite a not so great story, the Open Season turns out to share a lot of the same problems as its cousin, "animals in peril", animated film released earlier this year, Over the Hedge. Neither is very funny, both pit evil humans trying to extinguish or, at least, maim innocent forest creatures, and the beginnings and endings are the only parts that end up being appropriate for the age groups at which the films are pitched. It just really pains me to have to write this because I know the many zillions of hours and terabytes of computing memory consumed to create a film like this. The artistry from the technical side is breathtaking if not mesmerizing. Still, the success or lack of it will always boil down to the story, and the writers of this film as have many others in the animated genre this year, totally missed the boat. Who is this story for? It cannot be for little kids because there are not many parents and guardians who think it's a good idea for little kids to see nasty guys with shot guns and hight-powered hunting rifels shooting at bunnies, bears, and deer for sport. It's not for pre-teens. They'll find this film down right boring. Which leaves adults who tend not to be drawn to animated films in the first place; but, when they are, they expect a great story, which this one doesn't have. So, sadly, I have to report that that despite admiring all those who gave their time and talent to this film, it just isn't very good. I would caution any animated filmmaker who has a film in the works to get a hold of Pixar's Cars. It is the penultimate, nearly-everything-is-done-perfectly film for kids. The time has come to move away from stories with nasty villains putting cute creatures in peril and on to stories about creatures overcoming their own weaknesses. I'll grant these writers credit for demonstrating the value of cooperation vs. competition, for showcasing the importance of friendships with critters of all kinds, and for favoring long-term commitments versus fly-by-night operation. There's no way to overlook, however, the gender stereotyping used throughout the film—the skunks were especially bad form if not down-right offensive, the malevolence of the humans, the nastiness of some of the deer to a fellow deer who was less well-developed, and the use of the rabbits as everything from nose guards to handkerchiefs. Given all the potential the talent involved, it is too bad the movie had to turn out this way.
) as he falls to sleep. After some convincing and a "Yummy Bar", Elliot lures Boog out of confinement and into a convenience store which the two end up demolishing as they partake of every goodie in the place. Eventually, the Sheriff arrives and takes Boog home. Elliot escapes. This prompts, however, the Sheriff to recommend that Beth return Boog to the wild before he wreaks any more havoc on the town. She remains unconvinced until Boog and Elliot terrorize an entire audience full of park visitors and the crazy hunter of the town decides to tries to shoot him. Sorry to be the bearer of the bad news, parents and guardians, but there is a lot of attempted shooting of the animals, which most will find inappropriate for children. Once in the forest, there's a lot of attempted bonding between Boog and Elliot, whom Boog blames for causing he to be evicted from his comfy home and friendship with Beth. Eventually, Boog causes all the 'forest friends' to be washed into a river, over a waterfall, and down into the hunters' favorite spot. This catalyzes the need to defend them selves. Hunters definitely come across as the chief villains of the film. In the end, which is a pretty good ending despite a not so great story, the Open Season turns out to share a lot of the same problems as its cousin, "animals in peril", animated film released earlier this year, Over the Hedge. Neither is very funny, both pit evil humans trying to extinguish or, at least, maim innocent forest creatures, and the beginnings and endings are the only parts that end up being appropriate for the age groups at which the films are pitched. It just really pains me to have to write this because I know the many zillions of hours and terabytes of computing memory consumed to create a film like this. The artistry from the technical side is breathtaking if not mesmerizing. Still, the success or lack of it will always boil down to the story, and the writers of this film as have many others in the animated genre this year, totally missed the boat. Who is this story for? It cannot be for little kids because there are not many parents and guardians who think it's a good idea for little kids to see nasty guys with shot guns and hight-powered hunting rifels shooting at bunnies, bears, and deer for sport. It's not for pre-teens. They'll find this film down right boring. Which leaves adults who tend not to be drawn to animated films in the first place; but, when they are, they expect a great story, which this one doesn't have. So, sadly, I have to report that that despite admiring all those who gave their time and talent to this film, it just isn't very good. I would caution any animated filmmaker who has a film in the works to get a hold of Pixar's Cars. It is the penultimate, nearly-everything-is-done-perfectly film for kids. The time has come to move away from stories with nasty villains putting cute creatures in peril and on to stories about creatures overcoming their own weaknesses. I'll grant these writers credit for demonstrating the value of cooperation vs. competition, for showcasing the importance of friendships with critters of all kinds, and for favoring long-term commitments versus fly-by-night operation. There's no way to overlook, however, the gender stereotyping used throughout the film—the skunks were especially bad form if not down-right offensive, the malevolence of the humans, the nastiness of some of the deer to a fellow deer who was less well-developed, and the use of the rabbits as everything from nose guards to handkerchiefs. Given all the potential the talent involved, it is too bad the movie had to turn out this way.
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Other Projects Featuring Open Season (2006) Voice Cast Members
Martin Lawrence
• Ashton Kutcher • Gary SiniseDebra Messing
• Billy Connolly • Georgia EngelJon Favreau
Other Projects Involving Open Season (2006) Directors
Roger Allers
• Jill Culton • Anthony Stacchi Other Projects Involving Open Season (2006) Writers
Steve Bencich
• Ron J. Friedman | CD Soundtrack | VHS | DVD |
| Related Book | Related Book | PS2 Game |
Open Season (2006) Review-lite [150-word cap]
"Open Season" is nothing more than a polite way to say "Hunting Season", and as much as the writers, animators, and directors have worked to produce a delightful, kid-friendly, animated film featuring cuddly forest creatures, make no mistake, this is really a movie about animals trying to protect themselves from being hunted. Ashton Kutcher and Martin Lawrence fans need beware, listening to their voices for 100 minutes is just not the same. The film shares lot of the same problems as its cousin, Over the Hedge. Neither film is very funny, both pit evil humans trying to extinguish or, at least, maim innocent forest creatures, and the beginnings and endings are the only parts that end up being appropriate for the age groups at which the films are pitched. Given all the potential the talent involved, it is too bad the movie had to turn out this way.
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