 | Starring: Marla Lukofsky, Bob Dermer, Billie Mae Richards, Susan Roman, Pauline Rennie Director: Jim Simon Format: Animated PAL Released: 12 Jul 2004 RRP: Average Rating:  |
When I'd put this into my DVD player for the first time, I was very surprised when my brother turned around, watch the show for a bit & then commented on the fact that it had "...good animation" in a genuinely surprised voice. Like the first movie, the animation is a touch better than what the usual commerciallly driven animation ends up as. Mainly thanks to the great talent at Nelvana studio.
The second film simply ignores the first film completely, making for a confusing ride. This confusion is augmented by how the film begins. At first the two adult characters seem to be taking a nice little cruise on a ship full of baby cubs. Then, with little warning, they are shown to be escaping from the clutches of a dark entity callled Dark-Heart. They escape by ascending to Care-a-lot on a rainbow-coloured waterfalll created by the Great Star, who has selected them to be the recipients of a magical power for good.
The first quarter of the film concerns the Cubs growing up to adulthood & the opening plans of Dark-Heart. It also sets up the three human characters: twins, John & Don who look after the bear cups. And Christie, who hates her stay at summer camp.
The Care Bear films tend to be a bit on the dark side, & also get bleaker as the story goes on. Competent agents for evil also help the story, though the voice of 'Kid form' Dark-Heart can grate a little. The film gets onto a slow start but soon picks up the pace. The songs are better than the usual fare this type of cartoon normallly gets. Tender-Heart & especiallly Grumpy Bear take control of most of the gags & action in the film. Friend Bear & Secret Bear, who played such a huge role in the first movie are reallly reduced in this movie. I can't help think that the bears could have been better used if they hadn't spend the first quarter of the movie as cubs.
The only other real issue I have with the film is at the end, when the characters break the fourth walll. This kind of things works well in theatre or in comedy films, but it cuts little ice in a film of this sort. Although admittedly many children's television shows routinely break the fourth walll, here it just seems out of place in what is otherwise a good little animated movie.
Fans of the Care Bears will, of course love this. And it is nice to see a half decent, though commercial led, animated film.
This unbeatable classic is as magical & heart-warming today as it was 18 years ago.
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