Colegas en el bosque

Matin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher rock as the big bear "Boog" and the comic sidekick deer "Elliot". Unfortunately, the story was bland and the jokes were only mildly funny, so it will not be one of the best kids movies you're going to see this year. The "Laugh out loud" index was maybe a 5-10 (laughs per movie). "Over the Hedge" was closer to 20-30 for comparative purposes. "Boog" and "Elliot" were well played. The Scottish squirrels, Beavers and Rabbits were funny, but the rest of the characters didn't make much of an impression. Although somewhat entertaining, it was quickly forgotten after we left the theater (with the exception of the Austin Powers like shadow scene behind the curtain). If you need to take the kids out to a movie, this is funny enough to make it worthwhile, but don't get your expectations up to high.

The kids loved it, and I was not bored, and that is more than what you usually end up with these days. The 3D IMAX is truly amazing, if you are already paying the theater admission then IMAX is definitely the way to go. The story is not original, to say the least, but they know it and keep it short. I liked the voice talent, although this "the wiener dog has a German accent" thing gets old fast. A lot of people seem to hate this one with a vengeance (look at the distribution of the votes with all those people giving 1), but it still gets a 5.5 average, so that gives you a pretty good idea. This is no Incredibles by any means, but the two little girls I took enjoyed it a heck of a lot more than Cars. Mostly harmless family fun with a few bathroom jokes thrown in: enjoy!

What's a 'unihorn' you may ask? Well, it's a deer that only has one antler, of course. And you'll only see one in the new Sony Pictures Animation film, Open Season, starring Martin Lawrence, Debra Messing, Ashton Kutcher, Gary Sinise, Jon Favreau, and many more.

Martin voices the lovable Boog in the film; he's the main attraction of a show at the zoo with his best friend, Beth (Debra Messing). Boog also lives with Beth, equipped with his stuffed animal, Dunkleman. On a completely side note, what would a Sony film be without a reference to one of their own. Before Boog settles in for his comfy night sleep, he checks out Pat Sajak on Wheel of Fortune.

They have a great life together doing shows for the fans, even exchanging powerful roars. But that's before Elliot (Ashton Kutcher) shows up, the hapless one-antlered deer who's been captured by the evil Shaw (Gary Sinise). Boog helps Elliot escape and makes Boog's and Beth's life miserable, forcing Beth to send the two animals away into the forest.

On his own for the first time, Boog now has to rely on himself, or be stuck with Elliot. And that means figuring out how to go to the bathroom in the wild. That's when he first runs into McSquizzy, the squirrel (voiced by Billy Connolly) – McSquizzy is the ruler of the forest trees, and has a great and powerful squirrel Army to back him up, equipped with thousand of acorns. Without a doubt, McSquizzy is one of the highlights of Open Season! He's got wit, humor, and a ton of Scottish charm.

Boog realizes having Elliot around is the only way he'll get back to Beth. So they become 'partners,' much to the dismay of Boog – but the delight of Elliot, who just needs a friend. With hunting season right around the corner, the two must work together to sneak around the hunters.

But when Shaw breaks the hunting season date, the animals switch their thinking – instead of running away, they're going to fight back! And fight back they do! Trying to run away, Boog crosses a dam; unfortunately, his 900 pound body crumbles the wood.

That's when Open Season turns into Hill Street Blues! There is one of the most amazing chase scenes I've ever seen in the movies. Boog, Elliot, and their porcupine friend try and escape the gun shots of Shaw – but on water. Bobbing and weaving through the water, under water, above water, around rocks – great scene! There's even a waterfall at the end to top it off! I have somewhat of a test for animated movies I've been giving myself over the past few years – ever since seeing the water scenes in The Incredibles, and noticing how real it looked, I've started to take an eye to the screen. If water doesn't look real, than it doesn't pass the test. Let's just say, Open Season aced my test. This water chase scene goes on for about 5 minutes, maybe a little more; but it's so exciting and amazing to watch! It's not just the water of Open Season, it's the entire field of animation; the animals really come alive on the screen. I'm a huge fan of animation; I think it has to do with the fact that anything done with computer fascinates me. The detailed description of each character, from their eyes, nose, mouth, walk, and hair – and in this movie, fur; it's just so amazing! But back to the story - after meeting back up with the group of beavers, led by Reilly (voiced by Jon Favreau), some of Elliot's former deer mates (Patrick Warburton and Jane Krakowski), and a few other animals, Boog and Elliot team up and go on the attack against the hunters. Bras, plungers, grills, forks, knives, spoons, and basically, anything they can get their hands on – sorry, whatever they can get their paws on – they use to charge the hunters with.

Open Season is directed by Jill Culton, Roger Allers, and Tony Stacchi; each has a number of major credits to their name. Both Tony and Jill make their feature directorial debut on this film; however, Jill has worked at Pixar on the character development for Monsters Inc. and Toy Story. Tony worked on a number of films for ILM including Hook and Ghost. Roger Allers co-directed The Lion King, and has just recently completed The Little Match Girl – a short attached to The Little Mermaid.

Open Season is a fun and very enjoyable film for kids and families. It's definitely a film you'll be talking about for a long time. And don't forget, you can also check out the film in IMAX 3D, opening at major theaters across the country.

I'd have to agree with the critics on this one. When you release so many CGI movies with talking animals, there is a point at which mediocrity becomes common place. Open Season is no exception.

It seems to me that a lot of these movies released this past year revolve around this basic formula. 1) A plot involving talking animals. 2) Hire celebrities to do the voice acting (need at least one comedian). 3) Have a main character and an annoying obnoxious sidekick. 4) Have some simple plot in which the main characters are on a journey and have to reach from point A to point B.

When watching Open Season, I couldn't help but notice the parallels to Shrek. Boog (the bear) = Shrek, and Elliot (the deer) = Donkey. Need voice actors? Easy, let's hire two comedians (Mike Myers & Eddie Murphy vs Martin Lawrence & Ashton Kutcher). Plot? Well, let's just make them stranded somewhere and they have to reach from point A to point B. In this case, from the forest to Boog's old home. Of course, I could make the same case with Finding Nemo (comedians Albert Brooks & Ellen DeGeneres, main character and sidekick, travel from point A to point B plot).

Now don't get me wrong, I love Shrek and Finding Nemo. The problem is that when you have two great movies like these released previously, you can't help but notice how much Open Season recycles from previous movies. Open Season lacks any emotional charm or comedic originality. Another problem I had is that a lot of the jokes are based on clichés and stereotypes (Scottish squirrels? Male deers = high school jocks? Ducks = French resistance? Female skunks = black women?).

If there's any redeeming value in this film, it would be the fact that I watched it in IMAX 3D. It looks amazing. Wearing the 3D glasses, I could see each individual patch of fur on Boog's back and the characters literally came out from the screen.

Is this movie good for the kids? Yes. It had some laughs in it and it does bring about a moral message about the preservation of wildlife. It's a good way to kill and hour and a half. But don't expect to see anything new or original in this film.

When I saw "Open Season", my first impression was that the film looked a bit substandard compared to the higher quality Pixar movies which preceded it. While this opinion didn't change much during the course of the movie, I was surprised that I ended up really liking it anyway. Why? Because the writing was so good...and it's worth seeing.

"Open Season" is the story of Boog the Grizzly who was raised by a forest ranger. When he is returned to the wild, Boog is totally out of his element and is assisted by a chatty and occasionally annoying mule deer. As the story progresses, they seem to be doing a horrible job of finding civilization and end up nearly being killed because hunting season has just opened. Can the pair and their many new forest friends manage to survive and thrive against the odds?

The story is in many ways reminiscent of "Ice Age" and "Shrek" where you have a big creature who is constantly annoyed by a smaller and very chatty creature who insists on being friends. Don't expect 100% originality in this department. However, why I enjoyed the film so much are all the wonderful supporting characters--all of which were likable, funny and cute. Overall, quite a bit of fun and despite its shortcomings, a terrific story.