ANIMALS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN IN `OPEN SEASON'.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic Human beings, it seems, aren't the only ones going through fearful times these days. Just look at the computer-animated creatures the movies have been giving us lately. The zoo animals in ``Madagascar'' fretted over the dangers of the jungle; their caged counterparts in ``The Wild'' had to face the unknown in Africa. ``Finding Nemo'' found its father fish leaving the safety of its anemone anemone (ənĕm`ənē) or windflower, any of the perennial herbs, wild or cultivated, of the genus Anemone of the family Ranunculaceae (buttercup family). to rescue his son, and, while the critters in ``Over the Hedge'' were wary of suburbia, they soon embraced its comforts. Who needs the forest with its boring trees that bear acorns instead of potato chips? Living the high life In the latest offering, the more-than-passable ``Open Season,'' it's a domesticated do·mes·ti·cate tr.v. do·mes·ti·cat·ed, do·mes·ti·cat·ing, do·mes·ti·cates 1. To cause to feel comfortable at home; make domestic. 2. To adopt or make fit for domestic use or life. 3. a. grizzly bear grizzly bear or grizzly, large, powerful North American brown bear, characterized by gray-streaked, or grizzled, fur. Grizzlies are 6 to 8 ft (180–250 cm) long, stand 3 1-2 to 4 ft (105–120 cm) at the humped shoulder, and weigh up to named Boog (voiced by Martin Lawrence Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence[1] (born April 16, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor. ) forced to cope with the great outdoors. Boog (and, yes, the name inspires the requisite booger jokes) has been living in the garage of Beth, the loving forest ranger forest ranger n. An officer in charge of protecting or managing a section of a public forest. (Debra Messing) who rescued him as a cub. He has his own bed and refrigerator, and his nighttime routine includes fish crackers (in lieu of salmon) and a lullaby (``The Teddy Bears' Picnic A teddy bears' picnic is a party for young children which involves a picnic and to which the children are invited to bring their teddy bears. Teddy bears' picnics may be held as a form of birthday party, or by primary schools or elementary schools or other organized children's ,'' of course). But Boog is getting too big to be coddled, and after a convenience-store sugar bender with a bad-influence moose (Ashton Kutcher), Beth decides to return him to the wild. This is bad news for Boog, but good news for the trigger-happy hunter (Gary Sinise) anxious to add Boog's head to his trophy wall. Teamwork made fun The film's barely-there lesson of teamwork will ring familiar to parents and children, but it's delivered with humor and simplicity. Morals take a back burner to a parade of gags inspired by - or stolen from, take your pick - Monty Python (the movie's combative Scottish squirrels take their cues from the Knights of Ni) and ``Shrek.'' (Kutcher's sass-talking moose clearly went to Donkey's sidekick school). But the movie is too breezy to nitpick nit·pick intr.v. nit·picked, nit·pick·ing, nit·picks To be concerned with or find fault with insignificant details. See Synonyms at quibble. nit , and Lawrence hasn't been this enjoyable since ... well, ever, in my book. He turns Boog into the most lovable grizzly this side of Yogi yo·gi n. pl. yo·gis One who practices yoga. [Hindi yog , and the Imageworks animation on the creature's coat is a constant source of wonder. Never mind that the movie thoroughly sidesteps Boog's carnivore carnivore (kär`nəvôr'), term commonly applied to any animal whose diet consists wholly or largely of animal matter. In animal systematics it refers to members of the mammalian order Carnivora (see Chordata). instincts. As we've previously noted, cartoon animals have enough to worry about these days. Glenn Whipp, (818) 713-3672. glenn.whipp@dailynews.com OPEN SEASON - Three stars (PG: some rude humor, mild action, brief language) Starring: Voices of Martin Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, Debra Messing. Director: Roger Allers and Jill Culton. Running time: 1 hr. 26 min. Playing: In wide release. In a nutshell: More cartoon critters afraid of the wild. But if the story seems recycled, the gags are funny enough. Certainly as good as ``Madagascar.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Boog, a domesticated grizzly bear (voiced by Ashton Kutcher), copes with the great outdoors in ``Open Season.'' |
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