OPEN SEASON, an animated action-adventure, follows the fortunes of two forest-animal misfits. Boog (Martin Lawrence) is a gentle and domesticated bear; Elliot (Ashton Kutcher) is an absentminded and accident-prone deer who has been shunned by his herd. Together, they struggle to adapt to the ways of life in the wild and on their own. Boog longs to return to the cushy conditions he had with Beth (Debra Messing), an animal-loving park ranger who rescued him and raised him as a pet from the time he was a cub. Desperate to please his new friend, who spared him from an overzealous hunter (Gary Sinise), Elliot tries to help lead Boog back to the mountainside town, but instead they are met with hostility by their fellow forest creatures, including a combative squirrel, McSquizzy (Billy Connelly); a perfectionist beaver, Reilly (Jon Favreau); and a machismo-fueled deer, Ian (Patrick Warburton), who is Elliot’s nemesis. Now, with hunting season upon them, they must all align to defend themselves against the hunters that annually plague their domain.
While obviously geared toward kids, OPEN SEASON covers quite a few adult themes, including the comparison of man and beast. By pitting animals against hunters, the film operates from a pro-animal and pro-environment stance. It also conveys the importance of getting along with those different from ourselves, and encourages teamwork and acceptance of others. The PG-rated film includes some mature references, including rude humor and mild violence, but overall offers entertainment appropriate for the whole family.
2.
Boog (Martin Lawrence) is living the perfect life. In the tranquil town of Timberline, the genial grizzly bear enjoys all manner of creature comforts, courtesy of his surrogate mother, Beth (Debra Messing), the kindhearted forest ranger who rescued him as a cub. Boog relishes the perks of fame as the star of Beth’s nature shows in the town’s amphitheatre; and in Beth’s converted garage, Boog watches his favorite tv shows, eats eight square meals a day and nestles in a comfy bed each night with his teddy bear, Dinkelman. Yes, Boog seems to have the perfect life — until Elliot appears.
Elliot (Ashton Kutcher) is a scrawny, fast-talking mule deer who arrives in town unconscious, missing an antler and strapped to the hood of a truck belonging to fanatical hunter Shaw (Gary Sinise). When Elliot awakes, he begs Boog to untie him. Boog finds Elliot’s rapid fire pleas hard to ignore, and he releases the hapless mule deer. However, as if to prove that no good deed goes unpunished — Elliot tracks Boog down to his home and lures him out for a crazy night on the town—a bender which results in both of them being relocated to the forest.
Boog awakens in the wilderness, panicked to find himself far from the comforts of home. When Elliot promises to help Boog find his way back to Timberline in exchange for space in Boog's cushy digs, the bewildered bear with no survival skills has no choice but to agree to the unlikely partnership. With open season upon them, Boog and Elliot must first work together merely to survive. The odd couple embarks on a hilarious journey, enlisting the aid of some helping hands— er, paws—along the way as they join forces with the denizens of the forest to turn the tables on the hunters, and once again make the forest safe for its four-legged inhabitants.
3.
It's the hunters versus the woodland creatures in this heart-warming animated tale of a grizzly bear and a deer who team up to outwit their predators. They are aided by a kind forest ranger (voiced by Debra Messing) who raised the grizzly from cubhood.
Mooviees.com is not the official site for this film.
All editorial views and opinions expressed here are for entertainment purposes only.
Movie Database
In Theaters
