Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Bears Blu-ray Movie Review

"A story all parents share..."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown August 13, 2014

Bears is as close as Disneynature has come to full-blown cute n' cuddliness without crossing into dangerous territory. Earth didn't shy away from the harsh realities of the natural world. Oceans, Disneynature's most beautiful, powerful and best family documentary to date, explored a vast undersea kingdom but didn't exactly leave kids begging to bring home a blanket octopus. The Crimson Wing didn't leave anyone feeling much of anything, other than all too generic awe. African Cats toyed with cuteness and cuddliness but quickly, almost coldly reminded sniffling children that death is a pounce, disease or injury away. Wings of Life turned to insects. Fascinating... but far from huggable. And while Chimpanzee introduced one of Disneynature's more awwww-inducing leads in little orphan Oscar, it dealt with abandonment and survival. But Bears represents a departure, or perhaps a farther departure. Nothing particularly tragic occurs, no big scares await children scarred by African Cats, and the anthromorphication of the documentary's subjects is unmistakable. It's wildly cute and endearingly cuddly, and mama bear Sky and her cubs, Amber and Scout, are the most personable bears your family is likely to meet outside of an animated feature. And therein lies the success of Bears and, to a smaller extent, the problem. The film is extremely entertaining. Funny, adorable and heartwarming, all rolled into one. It's also heavy on charm and light on education, which will no doubt delight kids but leave some adults wanting. Is that such a bad thing? If you're a parent, the answer will be a resounding "no."

In an epic story of breathtaking scale, Disneynature's new True Life Adventure showcases a year in the life of a mother bear named Sky as she imparts life lessons to her impressionable young cubs, Amber and Scout. Set against a majestic Alaskan backdrop teeming with life, their journey begins as winter comes to an end and the bears emerge from hibernation to face the bitter cold. The world outside is exciting -- but risky -- as the cubs' playful descent down the mountain carries with it a looming threat of avalanches. As the season changes from spring to summer, the bear family must work together to find food while staying safe from predators, like brazen grey wolf Tikaani, and other bears that pose a threat to the cubs, like rival males Magnus and Chinook. Astonishing footage captures the fast-moving action and suspense of a family learning to live life to its fullest in one of the planet’s last great wildernesses.

There's something to be said for a solid entry-level natural history documentary; one geared toward kids, penned for kids, and with the needs of kids foremost on its mind. Narrator John C. Reilly, and more specifically, the script writers, work tirelessly to transform the bears into furry human beings on a grand quest for idyllic salmon-filled waters, yet rarely manufacture the organic story that unfolds; a job made that much easier thanks to film's stunning, absolutely gorgeous photography. Oh, there's plenty of sugary sweetness, to be sure. But very little artificial sweetener, and that's crucial. No, Bears doesn't focus on the science of the animals as often as veteran documentary aficionados might prefer. It does, however, strengthen fledgling curiosity and inspire further investigation, which most children with access to the internet will indulge the moment the movie ends. There's also a deep satisfaction to be had in simply sharing a real story of family togetherness and perseverance with your kids. Had I watched Bears by my lonesome, it would have probably struck me as a featherweight. Watching it with my son and his friends, though, was a whole other experience filled with wide grins, laughter and applause. Applause.

As much as Reilly is used to inject personality into the bears, it isn't hard to see he isn't too far from the truth. Most people recoil when a natural history documentary "speaks" for its subjects or overplays its hand, interpreting behaviors as more human than they really are. And that recoil occurs for good reason. It isn't difficult to project human reactions, expressions and emotions onto an animal, even if what's actually happening isn't related to the human experience whatsoever. Chalk it up to our own instincts. The "characters" in Bears, though, are so expressive, so emotionally transparent and relatable, that Reilly's connection to the creatures is justified, while the questionably human conclusions that are drawn aren't all that fictional; embellished perhaps, but not contrived. There's an integrity to the film, even at its cutest, cuddliest moments, and a sense that, had one of the bears died, African Cats directors Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey wouldn't have tip-toed past it. The kids in the audience just luck out this time. None of the animals meet an untimely end (even though both Sky and Scout come close in two separate sequences), there aren't any nightmare sequences to gloss over, and Disneynature honors both halves of its name: the family-oriented accessibility of Disney, the trials and tribulations of nature.

Bears Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Like previous Disneynature titles, Bears doesn't disappoint in high definition. Disney's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation is something of a stunner (screenshots actually don't do the image justice), although a hint of noise and slight ringing appears from time to time. No matter. Colors are beautiful and naturally saturated, with eye-pleasing contrast and excellent delineation even in the darkest of scenes. Detail is exacting too, despite the fact that long lens sequences aren't quite as crisp as more intimate shots. Edges are nicely defined, fine textures are well resolved, and fur fares well. Moreover, significant macroblocking, banding, aliasing, shimmering and other anomalies are nowhere to be found, and there aren't really any distractions of note. What few flaws there are trace back to the source, not the encode. Simply put, Bears looks fantastic.

Bears Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bears has much more sonic oomph to offer than John C. Reilly's voice. Though the narration is clear and carefully prioritized at all times, it's the sounds of nature, nurture and the animals at the heart of the film that really make Disney's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track a rewarding experience. Engaging rear speaker activity creates a series of convincing environments, from snowy mountains to grasslands, raging waters, deep forests, serene ponds and beyond. Anywhere Sky and her cubs go, the film's sound design is there to bring the reality of their struggles and accomplishments to life. Directionality is precise and playful, pans are smooth and the soundfield is wonderfully immersive. Low-end output is strong and reliable too, lending its full support to every roar, avalanche, storm, river and battle for survival. Bears' visuals may draw more immediate praise, but its lossless audio track is just as essential to the film's impact.

Bears Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Welcome to Alaska (HD, 6 minutes): Kicking off a short supplemental offering is a short behind-the-scenes featurette, touching on the challenges the documentary team faced following and filming their subjects.
• The Future for Bears (HD, 7 minutes): This secondary featurette begins by dispelling myths about bears and then moves to a brief interview with Dr. Jane Goodall, as she observes the animals firsthand.
• A Guide to Living with Bears (HD, 7 minutes): "Filming bears isn't for the faint-hearted." Relying on local guides to keep them safe from harm, the filmmakers quickly learn predicting behavior is crucial to working in such close proximity to bears.
• How Did They Film That? (HD, 7 minutes): Capturing tricky shots using aerial photography.
• Music Video (HD, 2 minutes): "Carry On" by Olivia Holt.

Bears Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bears is a ball of furry fun, quick on its feet and utterly charming. It's probably best suited to families with young children (or the casual natural history documentary fan), but that doesn't mean there isn't something here everyone. Disney's Blu-ray release is even better, with a striking video presentation and an excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. I would have liked to see some more extensive special features, but so it goes.