Movie Review: Yogi Bear

Yogi Bear made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character for other Hannah-Barbera production, The Huckleberry Hound Show before having his own series. Yogi Bear was not the type of cartoon that I watch on TV during my childhood. But Yogi Bear was the most popular of all the Hannah-Barbera gang as the "Smarter than the average bear" that lives in Jellystone Park(a fictional natural park based on Yellowstone Park) and makes contraptions to get picnic baskets from the park's patrons and a thorn to Park Ranger Smith.

Hannah-Barbera ceased to make cartoon flicks but had reruns when Warner Bros. bought rights of all characters including Scooby Doo, that previously bought into life with computer graphic imagery wen it was made into a live-action movie that Yogi Bear followed suit in this new live-action movie. For the characters, they made a good choice for Dan Aykroyd. As a comedian, he made numerous impersonations and voice over. Yogi Bear was originally voiced by Daws Butler, who last voiced Yogi in 1988 and died the same year. Yogi's voiced was then lent by Greg Burson, whom Butler taught personally how to do Yogi's voice. Burson died in 2008. In Seth Green's stop motion sketch comedy show, Robo Chicken, Yogi was voiced by Dan Milano.
Justin Timberlake was also a revelation. I still can't believe he voiced for Boo Boo, Yogi's smaller bear pal and accomplice. I knew he was doing voice acting in Shrek the 3rd but it was first time he was doing a voice character impersonation. As for Ranger Smith, Tom Cavanagh is much younger and more handsome than his cartoon counterpart and he doesn't appear grumpy like in the cartoons. In the old Yogi bear cartoons, Yogi was on the same level of height as Ranger Smith or any human but the live action movie made Yogi Bear bigger and taller like an average bear. The grizzly bear kind that is. As for the 3D, it was never wasted. The 3D was very smooth that you could almost feel the screen within your reach and react to it. The movie was targeting the younger audience since they are not familiar with this cartoon genre and the generation that is familiar with the Yogi Bear. Yogi Bear opens in cinemas on January 26 and distributed by Warner Bros. Phils.