After the animated adaptations of picture book author-illustrator Raymond Briggs' The Snowman and Father Christmas (VL-11/97), this latest effort is a bit disappointing. The non-narrated story of a young girl who befriends a polar bear and takes a magical trip to the far north, The Bear features Briggs' trademark warm pastel colors, love of the magical, and naughty sense of humor (the bear excrement scene is priceless). Unfortunately, the music is horrendously wrong--far more overbearing than the soft-colored gentle tale can comfortably accommodate. Still, at $12.99, this is a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)[DVD/Blu-ray Review—Oct. 6, 2015—Shout! Factory, 96 min., PG, DVD: $14.99, Blu-ray: $19.99—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1988's The Bear features a great transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include a “making-of” featurette (52 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: this excellent nature film shines on Blu-ray.]
The Bear
(1998) 31 min. $12.99. Buena Vista Home Video (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Closed captioned. ISBN: 0-7888-1327-7. Vol. 13, Issue 6
The Bear
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