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It used to be, as age progressed, as one generation passed onto the next, that certain things— book, film, sport, whatever—lost their lustre. What was an eagerly awaited activity became old hat or not appropriately engaging anymore.
My generation, X they call us, were the last to enjoy the 6 hour Saturday morning ritual of cartoon overdose. You would get up with the Amish, fill your bowl with sugary cereal, and disappear into the animated adventures of countless different companies.
My late grandma, rest her soul, once stated as I entered double digits that soon this would be a thing of the past, that I would outgrow these ‘silly things’. She was right in some ways, but I knew, even back then, that she was very wrong in others.
Cartoons are not just for kids, and that has been proven ever since the Flintstones conquered the world in the 1960s. From the same company, Hanna Barbara, came the tale of a mischievous kleptomaniacal bear and his pal making merry havoc for the park ranger, and, just like The Flintstones, Yogi Bear has finally been given the big screen, big budget treatment—the first, sadly, beyond the passing of its creators.
Long suffering Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanaugh) is at his wits end with Yogi and Boo Boo constantly trying to rip off picnickers and visitors to Jellystone Park. But that is the least of his problems: A greedy corrupt local politician has his sights set on selling the Park off to loggers to hide losses he has made being a shady operator. When Smith tries to meet the politician’s quota to save the park, Yogi gets in the way, and everything goes down the tube. With their home at risk, and Smith AWOL, Yogi and Boo Boo fight the good fight to set everything right and restore things to the way they should be.
The film, the first Hanna Barbara adaptation in 3D, is a sumptuously picturesque looking film, bright and cheerful. The actors chosen to play the eponymous nuisance and cohort—Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake (impressively unrecognisable)—are pitch perfect. The special effects and character designs are impressive and faithful to the cartoon. Sounds good so far, yeah?
Remember my waffle about grandma? She was half right: some things you grow out of. This film is geared to a very young audience, and most adults will have a hard time sitting through. It is over-simplistic, predictable, very lazy storytelling. In this era, with Pixar leading the way, it has become blatantly obvious studios can make a film like this appeal to kids and adults alike. No attempt is made to make this endurable for a grown up, as the writing lazily relies on nostalgia to see one through. Very young children, I have no doubt, will relish in Yogi’s hijinks, but I dearly hope the sequel (that has been announced) chooses to be merciful to the parents that have to tag along.
Yogi and Boo Boo deserve better.
MPAA Rating: PG for some mild rude humor.
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