Disneynature Bears (2014)
86%RT Audience Score: 78%
Awards & Nominations: 34 wins & 19 nominations
Sweet, beautifully filmed, and admirably short on sugarcoating, Bears continues Disneynature’s winning streak
Bears” is a movie that will make you want to hug a bear, but please don’t. The film is a heartwarming tale of survival and cuteness that will make you say “awww” more times than you can count. While it could have used more science and less poop jokes, the images are what really steal the show. It’s a great addition to Disneynature’s wildlife canon and a must-watch for anyone who loves bears or just wants to feel warm and fuzzy inside. Just remember, don’t hug a bear.
Production Company(ies)
Guangxi Film Studio, Beijing New Picture Film
Distributor
Disneynature
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Singapore
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2013
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 17m
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Language(s):Mandarin, Tagalog, English, Hokkien
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 18, 2014 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 22, 2015
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
starring John C Reilly, directed by Alastair Fothergill, directed by Keith Scholey, written by Alastair Fothergill, written by Adam Chapman, produced by Keith Scholey, produced by Adam Chapman, documentary, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Chris Packham, reviewed by Christy Lemire, reviewed by Peter Hartlaub, reviewed by Adam Graham, reviewed by Liam Lacey, reviewed by Nicolas Rapold, reviewed by Richard Crouse, reviewed by Richard Propes, reviewed by Christie Cronan, reviewed by Rachel Wagner, Alaskan brown bear, Sky, Scout, Amber, hibernation, predators, family togetherness, Dolby Digital, G-rated, Disneynature, wildlife, nature documentary, bears, Alaska, wilderness, anthropomorphic commentary, Samuel L Jackson, lions, African Cats, large format, animals, family-friendly, survival, year in the lives, beautiful, short on sugarcoating, winning streak, documentary filmmaking, nature, wildlife cinematography, animal behavior, animal kingdom, animal life, animal rights, animal welfare, animal world, animalistic, animalistic behavior, animalistic instincts, animalistic nature, animalistic tendencies, animalistic traits, animalistic urges, animalistic violence, animalistic instincts, animalistic nature, animalistic tendencies, animalistic traits, animalistic urges, animalistic violence
Worldwide gross: $1,234,100
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,567,737
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,483
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 170,964
US/Canada gross: $56,773
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $72,121
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,710
US/Canada opening weekend: $8,775
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $11,147
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,679
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Alastair Fothergill – Director, Screenwriter
Keith Scholey – Director, Producer
Adam Chapman – Screenwriter
Keith Scholey – Producer
Director(s)
Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey
Writer(s)
Alastair Fothergill, Adam Chapman
Producer(s)
Keith Scholey, Adam Chapman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
34 wins & 19 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (60) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (54) | Rotten (6)
Sincere and unexpectedly good, the film happily reintroduces another element of classic kids’ movies: a tidy 77-minute run time.
April 22, 2014
Chris Packham
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
“Bears” could have used a lot more science; more substantive information in the place of wacky one-liners. Still, the images trump everything.
April 18, 2014 | Rating: 2.5/4
Christy Lemire
RogerEbert.com
TOP CRITIC
Bonus points for all but eliminating the easy scatological humor. Does a bear (poop) in the woods? You won’t find out watching “Bears.”
April 18, 2014
Peter Hartlaub
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
There are grittier nature documentaries out there, but “Bears” is simple and effective, and delivered with that friendly Disney touch. Its intent is to make you say, “awww,” and it does its job well.
April 18, 2014 | Rating: B
Adam Graham
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
All this is heartwarming, in a bloody, ursine-centric way.
April 18, 2014 | Rating: 2.5/4
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Despite the bracing beauty of the wilderness, and the respite provided by cubs at play, the movie is primarily a sobering treatise on survival.
April 17, 2014
Nicolas Rapold
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
A welcome addition to Disneynature’s wildlife canon.
February 1, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Richard Crouse
Richard Crouse
The simple truth is that much of Bears feels cartoonish and far too light.
September 2, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
It’s so magical to watch Disney blend nature and storytelling together in an epic adventure.
February 5, 2020
Christie Cronan
Raising Whasians
Most of the movie is just bears being super cute.
April 26, 2019 | Rating: A-
Rachel Wagner
rachelsreviews.net
Overall, Bears holds a crossover appeal that should provide legitimate entertainment for the whole family. It’s a fantastic documentary of the beautiful world we live in and some of the incredible creatures that live in it.
November 21, 2017
Josh Terry
Deseret News (Salt Lake City)
I’m not suggesting that every nature film narrator should sound like David Attenborough, but John C. Reilly really seems an odd choice.
August 14, 2014 | Rating: 6/10
James Plath
Movie Metropolis…
Plot
Filmmakers follow an Alaskan brown bear named Sky and her cubs, Scout and Amber, as they emerge from hibernation and navigate the risky world of finding food and staying safe from predators in Bears.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Bears on Fresh Kernels.
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