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SYNOPSIS: Boog,
Elliot and all their forest friends return with an all-new
adventure that is their fastest and furriest yet – this
time in a big top circus! When Boog’s buddies can’t
make their annual guys-only getaway, he decides to take a
trip by himself. Stumbling across a visiting circus, Boog
switches places with a look-alike circus grizzly and takes
over his part in the act. But when the circus decides to go
back to Russia, it’s a race against time for Elliot,
McSquizzy, Mr. Weenie and the gang to rescue Boog before it’s
too late!
MOVIE
REVIEW:
Okay, does anyone out there know of the existence of the sequel to the 2006 animated feature starring Boog the grizzly bear and Elliot the one antlered deer? Well, pardon our ignorance here, but apparently it was released on video in 2009. And before we could catch our breath to take stock of what animated flicks have been making their presence felt out there in the market, here comes a second direct to video sequel to the wildlife comedy.
If you ask us, this attempt to milk money from unknowing consumers seems a little trying, but it’s also an indication that the response from the last two movies has been good. And that also means that enough profits were made for this third movie to be made.
In this installment, Boog the bear wants to plan an annual all guys trip, but his best friend Elliot the deer has started a family and does not have time to be part of this male bonding outing. Disappointed, the grizzly bear sets off alone and finds his way to a Russian traveling circus. There, he meets another grizzly bear who looks like him (they all look alike in real life, don’t they?) and they decide to switch lifestyles. What ensues is a madcap misunderstanding that involves Boog’s forest friends to set out on an adventure to get him back to the jungles where he belongs. Oh, there is this other female grizzly bear which plays the role of a love interest, and as you would expect, the family friendly flick ends on a happy note.
We don’t exactly remember what happened in the first movie featuring Martin Lawrence (as the bear) and Ashton Kutcher (as the deer), much less the incidents that occurred in Open Season 2. But this movie works on its own without making references to the last two episodes. This is a plus for kids who are attracted by the adorable creatures on the DVD cover and would like their parents to buy a copy for keeps. This is not something particularly appealing for the older audiences who have been spoilt for choice by productions from Pixar and DreamWorks.
So the resultant production is a cute but caricatured cartoon that you’d expect to see on your television screens during lazy Sunday mornings. The filmmakers may have put in some effort to include endearing fawns, a mildly amusing llama and a wise English sheepdog in the mix of animals here, but they probably will only entertain viewers below the age of five. Being a straight to video release, you can only expect so much in terms of animation standard. The messages for the young ones are wholesome, and will work for those who can make do with so-so movie sequels.
Till then, we are interested to see whether Open Season 4 will be made anytime soon?
SPECIAL FEATURES :
This Code 3 DVD includes a two minute Progression Reel where you can see sketches and storyboards of the creatures – nothing insightful here. A Runaway RV Game for the kids rounds up the meager collection of extras.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
There is nothing to complain about the movie's visual transfer. You can watch it in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean or Thai 5.1 Dolby Digital.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
Posted on 16 January 2011
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