Yogi Bear Review

• 1st Jul 2011

I have to admit I entered into watching Yogi Bear in the spirit of cynicism following the failed efforts of the Scooby Doo franchise in this latest adaptation of the classic Hanna Barbera kid’s cartoons. Scooby Doo was updated and removed far away from the atmosphere of the original cartoons. Yogi Bear, however, bears a much closer resemblance to the original while also updating it for a contemporary audience. The story, such as it is, is predictable and formulaic: in the fictitious national park of Jellystone an accident prone talking bear (who also wears a collar and tie and a hat) and his buddy Boo Boo join forces with the park ranger, Ranger Smith, to prevent a corrupt politician running for governership from taking over the park and turning it into a logging industry by knocking down all the trees. Normally Ranger Smith has trouble with Yogi as he upsets the visitors to the park by stealing all their ‘pic-a-nics’.

The results of course are predicatable and tiresome. But the film is saved by the voices of Dan Aykroyd and an unrecognizable Justin Timberlake who do a good job in mimicking the original voices of the two loveable bears. While the film is far from hilarious, there are some very funny moments and one-liners: following a disaster on Yogi’s hang glider when Yogi reassures Boo Boo after that he worries too much, Boo Boo replies that he “didn’t worry enough”. Indeed the hang glider sequence is the funniest set piece in the film.

Sometimes the modern updating also becomes formulaic with the routine and by now predictable animal booty shaking sequence in which Yogi and Boo Boo shake their hairy butts to Sir Mix-a-Lot’s classic novelty song Baby Got Back. Andrew Daly’s outing as the corrupt mayor is also unoriginal, although again this is saved by some funny lines. The rest of the cast, namelyAnna Faris, are obviously just there to pad out the plot (even though she’s historically featured in many a comedy). Once again the 3-D is used all too obviously, although the mix of the two animated bears (plus a frog faced ‘turtle’ (actually a tortoise)) are worked seamlessly in with the live action. Thankfully it doesn’t dwell on the eco message too strongly as with other recent animated family films.

Again, Aykroyd and Timberlake do sufficient work as the bears that will introduce a younger audience to a long since seen cartoon and hopefully engage them with those older classic cartoons that I remember fondly as a kid.

Chris Hick