I’ll preface this by first saying; Yogi Bear is first and foremost a kid’s movie, and as such shouldn’t be judged by the parent having to accompany the child.
In fact it would be better for all if the parent/escort opted not to watch, lest they realise what a colossal crock of shit this really is.
Jellystone Park is earmarked for changes due to budget constraints, though ‘constraints’ and ‘huge cutbacks’ sound eerily similar at times. The Mayor is looking to exploit a technicality and shut down Jellystone permanently.
This is an unpleasant surprise to boring traditionalist head Ranger Jones (Tom Cavanagh) and ambitious, over-eager Ranger Smith (TJ Miller), and also Rachel (Anna Faris), the hippy-ish documentary maker there with the express purpose of providing Jones with a pointless love interest, umm making a wildlife film or something?
It will also have an adverse impact on picnic poaching dup Yogi Bear (Dan Ackroyd) and Boo-Boo (Justin Timberlake).
In short the park needs big bucks in quick time in order to justify its existence, something made a little easier given that it is due for its 100 year anniversary.
That’s the plot. Now the facts.
- It has no plot because it’s not needed, this is a $20 80 minute baby-sitting exercise.
- The movie boasts a few ‘names’ because it’s expected.
- Yogi falls over, skis and flies because that’s what 5 year olds like.
- As for the 80 minutes, that’s because you can’t charge for a TV special, and even kid’s movies need to top 70 minutes. Need I even mention that the opening and closing credits account for at least a dozen of those minutes?
- It is in 3D because you can charge more for a 3D movie, even if it’s a shit one.
- There is nothing more because there was no care put into this money-making exercise in the first place.
Final Rating – 5 / 10. With apologies to TJ Miller and the guy who played the Mayor (and who was the only amusing guy in the film) I am only glad that kids under 5 will carry precious few memories of this into their teens. As a parent I only regret I cannot say the same, it will take many six-packs before I can erase this Yogi Bleh from my few remaining brain cells.
