ironhorse_iv
Honestly, I really don't get why this movie directed by Peter Hastings was even made!? It's pretty odd that Walt Disney Company would made a movie out of a really old outdated Disneyland attraction where animatronic bears sing country songs. Yes, I know, the show at one time, was once overwhelming popular, but in 2001, 'The Country Bear Jamboree' was nothing, but relic of what it was, was. After all, during that same year, Disneyland closed the Jamboree show, due to poor attendance and replaced it with 'The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh'. While, it's true, that the other Country Bear Jamboree shows in the other Disney theme parks, are still open, as of this writing, however, it didn't help bring the viewers to see this movie. Budgeted at US$35 million, it grossed $16 million in the US and an additional $1 million overseas. The film flopped so badly in the U.S., it was released straight to video in the UK in 2003. That's really, really horrible! I think, one of the biggest reasons, why this movie fail to reach an audience, is because the movie barely use the source material, right. While, the movie use a lot of the original names, none of the bear characters in the film, really matches, their original persona. A good example is how the movie thinks that Big Al (Voiced by James Gammon) is a sluggish and elderly property caretaker for The Country Bear Hall & Henry Dixen Taylor (Voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) is the band's manager, when in truth, both were part of the show, playing the guitar and being the Master of Ceremonies. Also, the main band of the show wasn't call, 'Country Bears'. It was call 'The Five Bear Rugs' which most of the characters in the film, were members of. Also, Ted Bedderhead (Voiced by Diedrich Bader) was never the leader of the band, as that role was for, the very surprising absent, Zeke, whom along with Oscar isn't in the film. Also, Trixie St. Claire (Voiced by Candy Ford) was never part of the original band, nor was dating Tennessee O'Neal (voiced by Toby Huss). In the original show, she had a slight crush on Henry. I was also, somewhat disappointed, with the film, due to the absent of classic characters like the Sun Bonnet Trio and the talking mounted animal heads, Buff, Max, and Melvin. Where the hell, was them!? Instead, the film follows a new bear character named Beary Barrington (Voiced by Haley Joel Osment), whom trying to reunited the long-since broken-up band in an attempt to reunite for one final show to save their own concert hall from the evil banker, Reed Thimble (Christopher Walken). Without spoiling the film, too much, I have to say, I really didn't like how the idea of having the events, take place in a live action world where humans and talking anthropomorphic bears coexist. While, for the most part, the bear suits, designed and constructed by Jim Henson's Creature Shop kinda work, minus the singer, Elton John cameo scene; I think this movie would had work better if this film was a hand-drawn or computer animation cartoon. It comes across, somewhat jarring and creepy to see people interact with men in puppet bear suits. Another thing, I really didn't like, how the voice-acting didn't match up with the singing voices. It's really weird to see, a character with a normal gravelly voice, be able to sing a beautiful power ballad in a few scenes later. The music that came with the film was alright for the most part. Nothing too memorable to note of; but I couldn't stand, on how forced and randomly out of place, some of these musical numbers, come from. Also, the celebrity cameos for this film, was kinda weak. Honestly, I never even heard of singers, Krystal Marie Harris or Jennifer Paige before this, or after. Despite that, I did like the cameos of Jess Harnell, Don Henley, Willie Nelsen and others. Another problem with this film is the humor. It's not really that funny. It was mostly a miss than a hit for me, because of how dumb, some of the jokes, were. Plus, I really didn't like, how they recycle jokes from older films like 1979's 'The Jerk', 1979's 'The Muppet Movie' & 1980's 'The Blues Brothers'. It didn't seem, so creative. It made everybody in the film, look like total idiots. It's sad to see Christopher Walken sink so low. Overall: Disney's third movie based on a ride or attraction, following 1997's 'Tower of Terror' and 2000's 'Mission to Mars' was indeed a failure. Thank God, 2003's 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl', somewhat save the idea. I can only hope, future Disney movies based on their theme rides would be awesome, and not awful like 2003's 'The Haunted Mansion' or this film.
Steve Pulaski
This is without a doubt one of the creepiest kids movies I have ever seen. Scarier and even more grim than How The Grinch Stole Christmas. The Country Bears are based on an attraction at the Disneyland Theme Park, but who thought a movie on these creepy bears would be a good film and declare it greenlight? I remember when this film came out I said it was scary and odd. But in 2010, I faced my fear and pressed play on this pathetic excuse for a film.If you've seen the bears in this movie, you know why this was panned. The bears are overwhelmingly fake and just cant be taken seriously. I believe that the technical effects were either CGI or just guys in suits. Either way, it looks appalling. Not one human cares that they are on the same floor as a bear. I'm waiting for the actor to just start laughing. How anyone, especially Christopher Walken can take this seriously is beyond me. This is a joke. Christopher Walken is a great actor, who's nice to see in a film, but he is just letting his career slip when doing crap like this and the 2006 "Comedy" Click.The plot involves Beary (voiced by Haley Joel Osment) a bear obviously who runs away, after learning he is adopted, to Country Bear Hall to see the band try and reunite the band he idolizes after a ten year absence. Country Bear Hall is going to be tore down by Reed Thimple (Christopher Walken). Beary is determined to get the band back together to once more hear their music, and to save Country Bear Hall.This plot probably wouldn't have pulled through for any other movie. The plot isn't special, we know they'll find a way to save it, and to top it all off, Country Bear Hall doesn't even exist so why care? But the fact that bears are the lead singers makes the film even worse. The imagination may have worked for a five year old kids dream or a thirty year old's nightmare, but an 88 minute movie watching bears prance around the stage singing cover songs is WAY too excessive. We should get a kick too on how Willie Nelson and Elton John state they got inspired by creepy talking bears. Did singing bears really inspire Willie and Elton to sing the spectacular songs they sing today? Who knows? Back to the Christopher Walken issue again, it's just an honest shame to see him waste his talents in an abysmal film like this. Its torture to watch a great actor do a poor job and play as someone he's not meant to play. Like Robert DeNiro in The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle. Its a mystery why no other well known actors were used. If you're going to ruin Walken's career, why not take on Nicholas Cage's? Robert DeNiro's career? Leonardo DeCaprio's career? Or do they know better not to be in a film with bears? Probably, anyone would. Except for Walken.Starring: Haley Joel Osment, Kevin Michael Richardson, Diedrich Bader, Brad Garrett, Stephen Root, Toby Huss, Candy Ford, James Gammon. Directed by: Peter Hastings.
countrybearslover
This is the movie of the century. I don't know what to say except that this movie was pure genius, and in my opinion it was even better than Meet Wally Sparks and Baby Geniuses. I love when the bear does his somersaults on stage! It's so rad! The first night i rented this movie, me and my friends watched it twice in a row because it was so mind-blowing! I also love the scene where the bear is in the boat and the boat runs into the prison bars and knocks them over. The only question I have is, where did Christopher Walken go? He's so sneaky! I hope Disney keeps making movies about their theme rides, because if they are anything like Country Bears and Haunted Mansion, I would be in heaven. I hope they make the Aerosmith movie next!!!How exciting!! I also love the random music videos that happen throughout the movie. My most favorite part, however, is the scene where Beary is running home and that wonderful music is playing in the background. I do have one question about this movie though... Why was it so hard for everyone to believe that the Country Bears were gonna get back together? They fail to explain this, as well as where these bears came from, and why the bears broke up in the first place. But i don't care, i just love when those bears have their jamborees!!!
