I didn't expect to like Yogi Bear. It looked like it was remade in the same vein as the Alvin and the Chipmunks movies (the ones that made me lose all respect I had for Jason Lee -- but not David Cross). It looked like it would take the spirit of the original cartoon and give it a long death over an hour and a half. It was with a trembling hand that I put the Blu-ray into the player.
The movie defied expectations. Sure, it was bad, in the way that carelessly-written children's movies are bad. But, this time, the fault was all on the human actors, who were absolutely painful to watch. Anna Faris was wooden and vacant as usual. T.J. Miller delivered a performance that will make me hate Hud in all future viewings of Cloverfield. And Tom Cavanagh was predictably forgettable as Ranger Smith (though I did like him in Scrubs).
The only saving graces of the film were the ones that mattered, though: the voice talents. Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake were absolutely hilarious as the voices of Yogi and Boo Boo (Timberlake especially was hilarious). In the end, the flaws of the film are completely forgivable just for the fun of hearing those two. I just wish the film would have focused more on them and less on the absolutely boring human characters. Kids will love it, but the real fun (or outrage) will lie with those who have seen the original cartoon. And, of course, as always, you might as well just stick with the original cartoon.
The Blu-ray is absolutely slam-packed with special features. The best part is the feature that simply shows Aykroyd and Timberlake voicing their characters. There are interactive games for the kids, and a 3D Road Runner cartoon that manages to be funny simply because, well, it has that age-old formula of Wiley Coyote chasing that Beep-Beeping bird.
Movie Review: C
Set Review: B+
Available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, On Demand, and for Download 3/22.
