Warner Bros. | 2010 | 80 mins. | G

Yogi always was “smarter than the average bear.” However, having watched the Hanna-Barbera cartoon for years, I also remember him as funnier than the average bear. Unfortunately, the makers of this live and computer generated film didn’t get the memo. It’s not original, inventive or funny. Heck, it doesn’t even represent a nice trip down memory for adults. While younger children might find it worthwhile if they’re easily amused, the thing bored this adult to tears.

Yogi Bear

As in the original cartoon series, the friendly, domesticated, highly accident-prone Yogi Bear (voiced by Dan Aykroyd) is the main attraction of Jellystone Park, where he constantly schemes to get his paws on visitors’ picnic baskets with the help of his pint-sized sidekick, Boo Boo (Justin Timberlake). Several scenes involving projectile pies and other assorted Wile E. Coyote-style hijinks make clear that Yogi is a perpetual headache for hard-working Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh), who’s already got his hands full trying to save Jellystone from being shut down by an unscrupulous mayor (Andrew Daly).

Yogi and Boo are the only CGI-animated characters in the film, and they strike me as creepy. They don’t really look like real bears, but not quite like the old Hanna-Barbera bears either. They just look odd, somehow. In this time of high level animation I think everyone, even children, has come to expect more. On the positive side, they appear soft and fuzzy, like teddy bears.

Aykroyd and Timberlake do a good job with their voice characterizations. They sound very much like their television counterparts. For those who may not be aware, Hanna and Barbera patterned the character of Yogi on Art Carney’s part as Ed Norton in the old Honeymooners show, complete with Norton’s hat, tie, and voice patterns. Unfortunately, the script written by Brad Copeland, Joshua Sternin, and Jeffrey Ventimilia (yes, it took three people), has none of the humor Carney brought to his character. Instead both Yogi and Boo Boo are portrayed as idiotic, with no ability to do anything right.

Along with Yogi, Boo Boo, Ranger Smith and the mayor, is T.J. Miller as Ranger Jones, Smith’s mindless assistant and Anna Faris as Rachel Johnson, a documentary filmmaker shooting in the park and a potential romantic interest for Ranger Smith.

Young children may enjoy the lovable, if empty-headed bears. They may also find some humor in the slapstick nature of the whole thing. However, older audience members might not appreciate the nonsensical script nor the many distracting screen effects intended to show off the movie’s original 3-D presentation.

The 1.85:1 aspect ratio presentation is pretty good. Colors are well amplified, with lush greens and woodsy browns making Jellystone feel like the naturalistic oasis it’s meant to be. The animated offerings also retain some optical flavors, with costuming on the CG characters supplying a burst of hues. Skintones feel lifeless (Yogi and Boo-Boo’s fur doesn’t retain much texture or shine), while greenscreen work is rendered obviously. Shadow detail is a touch thick in low-light scenarios, better suited for costumes and hair textures.

The 5.1 DTS-HD sound mix is thick with sound effects, supplying welcome directional activity for Yogi’s antics, with strong atmospheric support for Jellystone adventures. Dialogue is stable and crisp. Scoring is thin but pronounced, while soundtrack cuts offer a more vigorous workout. Low-end is hearty for the larger action set-pieces, providing a sturdy rumble. French, Spanish, and Portuguese tracks are also available.

We get the following special features:

  • Spending a Day at Jellystone Park (HD, 33 minutes): Visit Jellystone Park for a day, click on whatever picnic baskets you find, and treat yourself to a host of content spread across five locations (Redwood Valley, Jelly Jarring Rapids, Jellystone Lake, the Ranger Station and Lookout Mountain). While primarily aimed at the kids, you’ll find nine light-hearted production featurettes — “Everyone Wants to Be Yogi,” “Building Jellystone Park,” “Frog-Mouthed Turtle,” “Animated Bears,” “The Rapids,” “Stand-In Shenanigans,” “Ranger Jones’ Real Life Audition,” “Baskit-Nabber 2000” and “Voicing Yogi & Boo” — and five mildly amusing in-character shorts — “Vote for Mayor Brown,” “Jellystone Park Jewel: Yogi’s Secret Hiding Spot,” “Sickness was Love: A Love Song for Rachel,” “Jellystone Park Tourism” and “Jellystone Park Jewel: Litterbug.”
  • Yogi Bear Mash-Up (HD, 4 minutes): An extended preview glory.
  • Are You Smarter than the Average Bear? (HD): An interactive memory game for the kids with three difficulty levels.
  • Looney Tunes: Rabid Rider (HD, 3 minutes) A Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote CG-animated short.
  • DVD Copy
  • Digital Copy