We Bare Bears: The Movie - Review

 

With shows like “Steven Universe,” “Adventure Time,” “The Amazing World of Gumball,” and “Regular Show”, Cartoon Network has shown a remarkable amount of faith in allowing its creators to plan the endings for their respective shows. Some did epic finales, some made short epilogue series, and some made movies. “We Bare Bears” is getting its shot with its own movie, which might be an odd prospect given the shows generally low stakes, but make no mistake, they take full advantage of the opportunity.

After events that at first seem fairly mundane, the three Bear brothers, Grizzly, voiced by Eric Edelstein (“Twin Peaks,” “Complications”), Panda, voiced by Bobby Moynihan (“Saturday Night Live,” “The Secret Life of Pets”), and Ice Bear, voiced by Demetri Martin (“In A World…,” “Important Things with Demetri Martin”) find themselves on the run from Agent Trout, a Wildlife Control agent who seeks to deport the bears back to their respective habitats due to their antics throughout the series.

Its very clear that the events in the film are meant to be an allegory for racial discrimination, family separation, and immigration in America, especially given that creator and director Daniel Chong (“Toy Story of Terror!,” “Inside Out”) has states on numerous occasions that the show is meant to be an allegory for being a minority in America.

The themes are absolutely nailed within the film, as Chong and the writers never let the lighthearted tone get lost amongst the fray. It’s not too silly, and it isn’t too serious, and at no point does it ever feel like the film is talking down or babying its audience. Even by the time the third act comes, things get quite dire and it all culminates in an emotionally satisfying ending for the film and the series.

Chong’s simplistic art style shines here, thanks to the higher budget. Vistas and wide shots have an expansiveness to them that begs to be watched on a big screen TV. Weather and fire also contrast the bright colors to deliver a very epic feeling to some of the proceedings as well.

There are a few tiny nitpicks to speak of though. There are a couple songs in the film that seem out of place. The songs themselves aren’t bad, they’re well written and have a good flow to them, but given that they’re the only ones in the film and that they pop up in the middle and then disappear, they feel out of place. Likewise, given the fact that this is the series finale, its disappointing that some of the side characters from the main show only get one or two lines in the film.

“We Bare Bears: The Movie” works both as a series finale and as a topical allegory for some hot button issues. These topics are handled with care but are never downplayed for the sake of a younger demographic. This focus on tougher themes, as well as the great animation and voice acting, makes this a must watch for any fan of the series. Those who’ve never met these bear brothers before might be a bit confused, but will likely enjoy themselves, nonetheless. 4.5/5