BEFORE: It's a bad sign when the IMDB credits don't even tell me which actor voices one of the main characters, Boog, in this direct-to-video sequel. Fortunately some of the supporting actors carry over, not many though.
I have made great strides in cutting down the number of animated films on my list, however - in a few days there will be just a handful left. Of course, that doesn't count last year's films like "Rio" and "Rango", which I don't have copies of just yet. Or "Happy Feet 2" or "Cars 2" or "Hop", etc.
THE PLOT: Boog's friends rally to bring him home from a Russian traveling circus.
AFTER: Ah, the circus. Nothing says "Deus ex Machina" like the circus coming to town. Especially when a Russian circus comes to visit one of our great national parks, as they so often do. And especially when said circus features a performing bear that looks almost exactly like our main character, the forest bear (identical cousins?) so they can swap places. Yes, it's another take on "The Prince and the Pauper", or more likely that episode of "The Brady Bunch" where Peter met a kid at school who looked almost exactly like him. (And yet they never checked to see if he was a lost twin, curious...)
This right here is how you kill a franchise. Recycle a standard novel/sit-com plot, pump up the slapstick (Rabbit fight!) and the hilarious misunderstandings, and then just have your characters bide their time for 75 minutes. Oh, and don't bother hiring any of those famous actor-types to be in it, they'll only cut into the film's profitability, right?
Toss in a couple of threadbare messages about the value of friendship, or acceptance, or something. Or mention that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence (but don't say it directly, please, we don't want to be preachy). And, congratulations, your film franchise is dead. Now you don't have to bother making another sequel!
Starring the voices of Crispin Glover, Steve Schirripa (both carrying over from last night), and...well, that's just about it. I think someone dropped the ball when it came time to submit credits to the IMDB. Shout out to Fred Stoller, who I forgot to mention last night.
RATING: 3 out of 10 gumballs
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