This beautiful film is one of my favorites. The story follows an orphaned bear cub in the wilderness of British Columbia, how he pairs up with an older bear and how they both elude the hunters who are after them. The cinematography is great and the director inserts some very unique elements, like a dream sequence, to bring us into the bear's point of view. And the little bear cub, Youk, is impossibly cute.
I realize the action is staged and bears don't interact this way in nature, but the film has a purpose, to let the viewer into the world of an endangered animal and to give us a little respect for life other than our own. I was as involved in Youk's struggles just as much as any human's, and maybe I'm a sentimental fool, but there were tears in my eyes when Youk and the adult bear snuggled up to each other in the end.
During the final shot of snow-covered peaks as the camera drew back from the bears' winter den, it struck me that this is the kind of film Disney might have done at one time. It would have been a perfect way to spend a Sunday evening with the family. Too bad Disney has gotten away from its origins. There are too few films like this that everyone can enjoy.
I realize the action is staged and bears don't interact this way in nature, but the film has a purpose, to let the viewer into the world of an endangered animal and to give us a little respect for life other than our own. I was as involved in Youk's struggles just as much as any human's, and maybe I'm a sentimental fool, but there were tears in my eyes when Youk and the adult bear snuggled up to each other in the end.
During the final shot of snow-covered peaks as the camera drew back from the bears' winter den, it struck me that this is the kind of film Disney might have done at one time. It would have been a perfect way to spend a Sunday evening with the family. Too bad Disney has gotten away from its origins. There are too few films like this that everyone can enjoy.