“They say the first year of parenting is the hardest,” narrator John C. Reilly says in the opening scene of “Bears.” Half of all bear cubs perish in their first year. “Bears” follows two cubs and their mother through this harsh, danger-filled year.
The film revolves around Sky, an adult Grizzly, and her two cubs, adventurous Scout and the shy Amber. In classic Disney nature format, the film establishes a named cast, complete with heroes and villains.
“Bears” doesn’t try to sugarcoat the dangers of the Alaskan wilderness as it shows the bear family’s journey to store up enough fat for the coming winter. There are avalanches, the constant possibility of starvation and hungry bears and wolves threatening the cubs at every turn. But “Bears” stands by its G rating and never gets too graphic or violent.
There isn’t much legitimate factual information in the film and frankly, it would have been nice to get more, but the story is fun and the shots are so gorgeous and awe-inspiring that it’s hard to complain.
The highlight of “Bears” is without a doubt the cinematography. The film features plenty of fascinating footage of the animals, but it also has breathtaking panoramic shots of mountains and oceans, forests and lush green fields. Visually, “Bears” is consistently impressive.
The story might be cheesy and the jokes are fairly simple, but “Bears” is genuine and beautiful enough to surpass any potential problems. It is worth seeing for children and adults alike.
