Yogi Bear (film)
Encyclopedia
Yogi Bear is a 2010 American live-action film adaptation of the Hanna-Barbera
cartoon series The Yogi Bear Show
directed by Eric Brevig
. The film stars Dan Aykroyd
, Justin Timberlake
, Tom Cavanagh
, Anna Faris
, T. J. Miller
, Nate Corddry
, and Andrew Daly
.
It was distributed by Warner Bros.
with Hanna-Barbera serving as a co-producer. It is the first film development of a Hanna-Barbera property produced without the assistance of William Hanna
and Joseph Barbera
, who died in 2001 and 2006 respectively.
The film tells the story of Yogi Bear as he tries to save his park from being logged. Principal photography
began in November 2009. It was preceded by the 3D short Rabid Rider
, starring Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner
.
Yogi Bear received negative reviews from critics, but has been a box office success.
) and Boo Boo (voiced by Justin Timberlake
) are two brown bear
s who have a penchant for stealing picnic baskets from visitors to Jellystone Park, while park ranger
s Smith (Tom Cavanaugh) and Jones (T. J. Miller
) try to prevent them from doing so. Meanwhile, Mayor Brown (Andrew Daly
) realizes that his city is facing bankruptcy due to profligate spending on his part. To solve it and fund his election campaign to be the next state governor, the mayor decides to "find some place losing money so he can earn it," and he picks Jellystone, the park where the bears live. The park is selected as a logging
site, and Jellystone is shut down. Now seeing that their home is in danger of being destroyed, Yogi and Boo Boo team up with Ranger Smith and a documentary
-shooter named Rachel Johnson (Anna Faris
) to save the park.
To save the park from being shut down, Ranger Smith holds a Centennial festival where he hopes to make a profit selling Season Pass
es. To sabotage the effort, Mayor Brown plays on Ranger Jones' desire to be head ranger and promises him the position if the funds are not raised. Yogi had promised Smith to stay out of sight during the festival, but Jones convinces him to go ahead with the helping plan. Yogi tries to please the crowd with a waterskiing performance which goes awry when he inadvertently sets his cape
on fire. In the ensuing chaos, the fireworks Smith set up are knocked over and ignited prematurely, launching them into the assembled audience who flee in a panic. After Jellystone is shut down, Ranger Smith is forced to stay in Evergreen Park, a small urban enclave choked with litter and pollution, but not after he tells Yogi that Yogi is not as smart as he thinks he is. Smith, Rachel, Yogi, and Boo Boo plan to stop the sale of Jellystone. They learn that Boo Boo's pet turtle
is a rare and endangered species, which means that the Park cannot be destroyed with the turtle there. Mayor Brown has his guards steal the turtle to cut down Jellystone's trees, and tells the foursome that he is willing to gain more power to shut down the park in order to become governor.
However, after Mayor Brown leaves for his campaign speech, Rachel reveals that she had previously installed a video camera
in Boo Boo's bow tie as part of the documentary, which later recorded Mayor Brown's confession. The turtle flees from Brown by using his frog
-like tongue to pull itself into the forest from the car. Yogi and Boo Boo keep the guards distracted so that Ranger Smith can upload Mayor Brown's confession to the jumbotron. When the confession is replayed, police officers arrest Mayor Brown. Brown's chief of staff attempts to run off, but Rachel pins him. With the mayor's plot foiled, Jones loses the position of head ranger and Smith takes his position back, but Jones still works there, giving out papers about how Jellystone has a rare type of turtle, while Yogi and Boo Boo are still stealing picnic baskets once again.
Yogi Bear movie was in the works. Ash Brannon
was originally scheduled to direct the film but was replaced by Eric Brevig (Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D
) when it was decided that the film would be produced as a 3-D project. The film followed the adventures of Yogi and Boo-Boo, who are subjects of a nature-documentary film-maker (Anna Faris
), during their continual quest for picnic baskets. Ranger Smith, as usual, does his best to keep the baskets away from the bears. Filming primarily took place in New Zealand
, as it was winter in the northern hemisphere
and to wait for summer would put the production end time to be 6 months longer than if in southern hemisphere
.
's Ed Norton character on The Honeymooners
was said to be Yogi's inspiration; his voice mannerisms broadly mimic Carney as Norton. Norton, in turn, received influence from Borscht Belt
and comedians of vaudeville
.
Dan Aykroyd
, the voice actor of Yogi Bear, stated that he is trying to evoke the influences that shaped the original Yogi Bear's voice. Aykroyd said, "It's about hitting certain notes, going back to those old Lower East Side
rhythms, the Catskills, Jersey
, Upstate New York
. It's the Yiddish language
, essentially, being spoken in English
. It's the 'setup, delivery, punch' that sitcoms live on today. That's where the origin of American humor
is." Aykroyd has stated that he grew up watching Yogi Bear on the long, cold, dark afternoons in his native Ottawa: "As a kid growing up in Ottawa, Canada, where the sky turns dark in the winter at about 3:30, Yogi bear was my fire, my hearth, when I would come home. I would immediately turn on the TV while I thawed out."
Justin Timberlake
came in with a prepared Boo-Boo voice; when he was learning to sing when he was younger, he imitated various cartoon characters.
Eric Brevig
said that he intended to make a film that did not want parents who remembered watching Yogi Bear cartoons to feel marginalized and displaced by the contemporary rendition of Yogi Bear.
and Alpha and Omega
. A second trailer premiered with Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, and a third trailer premiered with Megamind, Tangled, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. It features a Todd Collins song called "Walk, Walk, Walk." One of the trailers was also attached with UK showings of Tron: Legacy.
The film was originally slated for release on June 25, 2010, but was pushed back to December 17, 2010 to avoid competition with Grown Ups.
character animation for Yogi Bear, Boo-Boo Bear and the Turtle in the film. The company had previously worked with Hanna-Barbera on past theatrical productions: The Flintstones
(1994), its prequel Viva Rock Vegas
(2000), Scooby-Doo
(2002), and its sequel Monsters Unleashed
(2004).
, the film received a 13% "Rotten" approval rating for critics, with an average score of 3.5/10. The site's consensus stated "Yogi Bears 3D effects and all-star voice cast are cold comfort for its aggressively mediocre screenplay." The compiled score on Metacritic
is 33 out of 100.
One of few positive reviews came from film critics at Spill.com
, who appreciated the film staying true to its original source material, and not trying to "hip it up", comparing the 2007 film Alvin and the Chipmunks
. The critics also liked Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake's performances. Common Sense Media
gave the film one star, saying "Dumber-than-average family comedy won't even impress kids." IGN
gave the film two stars, and summed up their review by saying "Of course, Yogi Bear is meant as a kids movie. And one supposes that it works on that level (the little ones at the press screening I attended seemed mildly amused). But we learned long ago that kids movies can operate on more than one level, and that's not something that director Eric Brevig (Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D) or his screenwriters are interested in. The result is a movie that's dumber than the average bear. Though at least it has a piss joke in it."
This number was a much harder fall than what Warner Bros. was hoping for, but it blamed the drop on Christmas Eve landing on a Friday plus the big snowstorm in the eastern United States during that period. On Monday, that blame seemed justified, as the film jumped up 11% from Sunday to $3.6 million, which was altogether a 33% jump from its previous Monday. In its third weekend, the film jumped up 66% to $13 million and ranking fourth. The next weekend, it dropped 46% and ranked eighth with $6.8 million. Over the Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend, it was able to pick up $7.4 million for the four-day, jumping up 12% from the previous weekend.
The film has picked up $100,246,011 in the U.S. and Canada and also has a worldwide total of $201,584,141. Against an $80 million budget, the film has become a surprise box office hit.
released the film on Blu-ray
/DVD
on March 22, 2011 in three versions:
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
cartoon series The Yogi Bear Show
The Yogi Bear Show
The Yogi Bear Show is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions about a fast-talking picnic basket stealing bear named Yogi. The show debuted in syndication on January 30 and ran for 33 episodes until December 30 in 1961 and included two segments, Snagglepuss and Yakky...
directed by Eric Brevig
Eric Brevig
Eric Brevig is a film director and visual effects supervisor known for his work in several major theatrical films and television shows...
. The film stars Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, Tom Cavanagh
Tom Cavanagh
Thomas "Tom" Cavanagh is a Canadian actor.-Early life:Cavanagh was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He is of Irish descent and was raised in a large Roman Catholic family. Cavanagh moved with his family to Winneba, a small city in Ghana, when he was seven years old. In his teens, the family moved to...
, Anna Faris
Anna Faris
Anna Kay Faris is an American actress, singer and comedienne. She is known for her starring role in the Scary Movie film series, as well as roles in The Hot Chick , Lost in Translation , Just Friends , My Super Ex-Girlfriend , Smiley Face , and The House Bunny...
, T. J. Miller
T. J. Miller
Todd Joseph Miller , better known as T. J. Miller, is an American actor and stand-up comedian.-Life and career:Miller was born in Denver, Colorado. He attended East High School. Miller then attended the George Washington University in Washington, D.C...
, Nate Corddry
Nate Corddry
Nathan "Nate" Corddry is an American actor best known for his television roles on programs such as Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Daily Show, United States of Tara and Harry's Law. He played Private First Class Loudmouth in the HBO miniseries The Pacific...
, and Andrew Daly
Andrew Daly
Andrew "Andy" Daly is an American actor, comedian and writer best known for playing Principal Terrence Cutler in the HBO comedy series Eastbound & Down.-Early life:Daly was born in Mount Kisco, New York and raised in New Jersey...
.
It was distributed by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
with Hanna-Barbera serving as a co-producer. It is the first film development of a Hanna-Barbera property produced without the assistance of William Hanna
William Hanna
William Denby Hanna was an American animator, director, producer, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of people for much of the 20th century. When he was a young child, Hanna's family moved frequently, but they settled in Compton, California, by...
and Joseph Barbera
Joseph Barbera
Joseph Roland Barbera was an influential American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the twentieth century....
, who died in 2001 and 2006 respectively.
The film tells the story of Yogi Bear as he tries to save his park from being logged. Principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
began in November 2009. It was preceded by the 3D short Rabid Rider
Rabid Rider
Rabid Rider is a 2010 Looney Tunes film starring characters Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner. It is directed by Matthew O'Callaghan, written by Tom Sheppard, produced by Reel FX Creative Studios and released by Warner Bros. It is the third Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner movie to be made into CGI in...
, starring Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner
Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner
Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner are a duo of cartoon characters from a series of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. The characters were created by animation director Chuck Jones in 1948 for Warner Bros., while the template for their adventures was the work of writer Michael Maltese...
.
Yogi Bear received negative reviews from critics, but has been a box office success.
Plot
Yogi (voiced by Dan AykroydDan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
) and Boo Boo (voiced by Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
) are two brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
s who have a penchant for stealing picnic baskets from visitors to Jellystone Park, while park ranger
Park ranger
A park ranger or forest ranger is a person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks. Different countries use different names for the position. Ranger is the favored term in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Within the United...
s Smith (Tom Cavanaugh) and Jones (T. J. Miller
T. J. Miller
Todd Joseph Miller , better known as T. J. Miller, is an American actor and stand-up comedian.-Life and career:Miller was born in Denver, Colorado. He attended East High School. Miller then attended the George Washington University in Washington, D.C...
) try to prevent them from doing so. Meanwhile, Mayor Brown (Andrew Daly
Andrew Daly
Andrew "Andy" Daly is an American actor, comedian and writer best known for playing Principal Terrence Cutler in the HBO comedy series Eastbound & Down.-Early life:Daly was born in Mount Kisco, New York and raised in New Jersey...
) realizes that his city is facing bankruptcy due to profligate spending on his part. To solve it and fund his election campaign to be the next state governor, the mayor decides to "find some place losing money so he can earn it," and he picks Jellystone, the park where the bears live. The park is selected as a logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
site, and Jellystone is shut down. Now seeing that their home is in danger of being destroyed, Yogi and Boo Boo team up with Ranger Smith and a documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
-shooter named Rachel Johnson (Anna Faris
Anna Faris
Anna Kay Faris is an American actress, singer and comedienne. She is known for her starring role in the Scary Movie film series, as well as roles in The Hot Chick , Lost in Translation , Just Friends , My Super Ex-Girlfriend , Smiley Face , and The House Bunny...
) to save the park.
To save the park from being shut down, Ranger Smith holds a Centennial festival where he hopes to make a profit selling Season Pass
Season Pass
Season Pass refers to a ticket attainable at most amusement parks allowing admission to the park multiple times during a certain period of time - usually a year. Season passes also are issued by ski areas....
es. To sabotage the effort, Mayor Brown plays on Ranger Jones' desire to be head ranger and promises him the position if the funds are not raised. Yogi had promised Smith to stay out of sight during the festival, but Jones convinces him to go ahead with the helping plan. Yogi tries to please the crowd with a waterskiing performance which goes awry when he inadvertently sets his cape
Cape
Cape can be used to describe any sleeveless outer garment, such as a poncho, but usually it is a long garment that covers only the back half of the wearer, fastening around the neck. They were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon, and have had periodic...
on fire. In the ensuing chaos, the fireworks Smith set up are knocked over and ignited prematurely, launching them into the assembled audience who flee in a panic. After Jellystone is shut down, Ranger Smith is forced to stay in Evergreen Park, a small urban enclave choked with litter and pollution, but not after he tells Yogi that Yogi is not as smart as he thinks he is. Smith, Rachel, Yogi, and Boo Boo plan to stop the sale of Jellystone. They learn that Boo Boo's pet turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
is a rare and endangered species, which means that the Park cannot be destroyed with the turtle there. Mayor Brown has his guards steal the turtle to cut down Jellystone's trees, and tells the foursome that he is willing to gain more power to shut down the park in order to become governor.
However, after Mayor Brown leaves for his campaign speech, Rachel reveals that she had previously installed a video camera
Video camera
A video camera is a camera used for electronic motion picture acquisition, initially developed by the television industry but now common in other applications as well. The earliest video cameras were those of John Logie Baird, based on the electromechanical Nipkow disk and used by the BBC in...
in Boo Boo's bow tie as part of the documentary, which later recorded Mayor Brown's confession. The turtle flees from Brown by using his frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
-like tongue to pull itself into the forest from the car. Yogi and Boo Boo keep the guards distracted so that Ranger Smith can upload Mayor Brown's confession to the jumbotron. When the confession is replayed, police officers arrest Mayor Brown. Brown's chief of staff attempts to run off, but Rachel pins him. With the mayor's plot foiled, Jones loses the position of head ranger and Smith takes his position back, but Jones still works there, giving out papers about how Jellystone has a rare type of turtle, while Yogi and Boo Boo are still stealing picnic baskets once again.
Cast
- Tom CavanaghTom CavanaghThomas "Tom" Cavanagh is a Canadian actor.-Early life:Cavanagh was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He is of Irish descent and was raised in a large Roman Catholic family. Cavanagh moved with his family to Winneba, a small city in Ghana, when he was seven years old. In his teens, the family moved to...
as Ranger SmithRanger SmithRanger John Francis Smith is a fictional character in the Yogi Bear cartoon series.-Character:A former US Army soldier, he is the serious and stern authority figure in Jellystone Park, in contrast to the antics of the troublesome Yogi, and he greatly disapproves of Yogi's picnic basket thievery.In...
, the head ranger of Jellystone Park. - Anna FarisAnna FarisAnna Kay Faris is an American actress, singer and comedienne. She is known for her starring role in the Scary Movie film series, as well as roles in The Hot Chick , Lost in Translation , Just Friends , My Super Ex-Girlfriend , Smiley Face , and The House Bunny...
as Rachel Johnson, a nature documentary filmmaker, and Ranger Smith's love interest. She is called "Miss Movie Lady" or "Miss Moviemaker Lady" by Yogi and Boo Boo. - T. J. MillerT. J. MillerTodd Joseph Miller , better known as T. J. Miller, is an American actor and stand-up comedian.-Life and career:Miller was born in Denver, Colorado. He attended East High School. Miller then attended the George Washington University in Washington, D.C...
as Ranger Jones, a park ranger who is tricked by Mayor Brown into getting Jellystone shut down, making the excuse that Jones will be the head ranger of the park. - Andrew DalyAndrew DalyAndrew "Andy" Daly is an American actor, comedian and writer best known for playing Principal Terrence Cutler in the HBO comedy series Eastbound & Down.-Early life:Daly was born in Mount Kisco, New York and raised in New Jersey...
as Mayor Brown, a mayor who wants to shut Jellystone Park down so that he can make money for his city and become governor. - Nate CorddryNate CorddryNathan "Nate" Corddry is an American actor best known for his television roles on programs such as Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Daily Show, United States of Tara and Harry's Law. He played Private First Class Loudmouth in the HBO miniseries The Pacific...
as the Chief of Staff, Mayor Brown's assistant.
Voices
- Dan AykroydDan AykroydDaniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
as Yogi BearYogi BearYogi Bear is a fictional bear who appears in animated cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show. Yogi Bear was the first breakout character created by Hanna-Barbera, and was eventually more popular than...
, the picnic basketPicnic basketA picnic basket or food hamper is a basket intended to hold food and tableware for a picnic meal. Picnic baskets are standard equipment at many picnics....
-stealing talking bearBearBears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
who lives in Jellystone Park. - Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
as Boo-Boo Bear, Yogi's sidekickSidekickA sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
, and sometimes the voice of reason. - Josh Robert ThompsonJosh Robert ThompsonJosh Robert Thompson is an American actor, impressionist and comedian.Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he resides in Los Angeles, making his living primarily as a voice and character actor. Thompson is known for his celebrity impressions, including Robert De Niro, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Willie...
as Narrator. - Stephen ApostolinaStephen ApostolinaStephen F. Apostolina is a voice actor who is also known as Steve Apostolina, Jim Taggert, Sean Mitchell, Mitchell Ray, Randy Alan/Randy Allan.-Anime roles:...
as Additional Voices - Raymond OchoaRaymond OchoaRaymond Ochoa is an American child actor. He has appeared in various commercials, television shows and movies. He is probably best known for his roles in 10 Items or Less, and Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh....
as Additional Voices - Michelle RuffMichelle RuffMichelle Suzanne Ruff is an American voice actress known for her work in anime and video games.-Anime roles:* Angel Tales - Akane the fox* Ai Yori Aoshi - Aoi Sakuraba* Arc the Lad - Meril...
as Additional Voices - Will ShadleyWill ShadleyWill Shadley is an American child actor, perhaps best known for his role in the 2010 film The Spy Next Door.Shadley was born in Winter Park, Florida to Shari and Rick Shadley, a landscape architect. He has an older sister. Shadley's first acting role was in a play of A Christmas Carol in which he...
as Additional Voices
Production
On October 2, 2008, it was confirmed that a live-action/CGIComputer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
Yogi Bear movie was in the works. Ash Brannon
Ash Brannon
Ash Brannon is an American animator, writer and director. He was a story artist and directing animator on Toy Story and co-director on Toy Story 2...
was originally scheduled to direct the film but was replaced by Eric Brevig (Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D
Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008 film)
Journey to the Center of the Earth is an American 2008 3D adventure film starring Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, and Anita Briem...
) when it was decided that the film would be produced as a 3-D project. The film followed the adventures of Yogi and Boo-Boo, who are subjects of a nature-documentary film-maker (Anna Faris
Anna Faris
Anna Kay Faris is an American actress, singer and comedienne. She is known for her starring role in the Scary Movie film series, as well as roles in The Hot Chick , Lost in Translation , Just Friends , My Super Ex-Girlfriend , Smiley Face , and The House Bunny...
), during their continual quest for picnic baskets. Ranger Smith, as usual, does his best to keep the baskets away from the bears. Filming primarily took place in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, as it was winter in the northern hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
and to wait for summer would put the production end time to be 6 months longer than if in southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
.
Voicing of Yogi Bear
Like many Hanna-Barbera characters, in the original cartoon, Yogi's personality and mannerisms were based on a popular celebrity of the time. Art CarneyArt Carney
Arthur William Matthew “Art” Carney was an American actor in film, stage, television and radio. He is best known for playing Ed Norton, opposite Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden in the situation comedy The Honeymooners....
's Ed Norton character on The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners is an American situation comedy television show, based on a recurring 1951–'55 sketch of the same name. It originally aired on the DuMont network's Cavalcade of Stars and subsequently on the CBS network's The Jackie Gleason Show hosted by Jackie Gleason, and filmed before a live...
was said to be Yogi's inspiration; his voice mannerisms broadly mimic Carney as Norton. Norton, in turn, received influence from Borscht Belt
Borscht Belt
Borscht Belt, or Jewish Alps, is a colloquial term for the mostly defunct summer resorts of the Catskill Mountains in parts of Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties in upstate New York that were a popular vacation spot for New York City Jews from the 1920s through the 1960s.-Name:The name comes from...
and comedians of vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
.
Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
, the voice actor of Yogi Bear, stated that he is trying to evoke the influences that shaped the original Yogi Bear's voice. Aykroyd said, "It's about hitting certain notes, going back to those old Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
rhythms, the Catskills, Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
. It's the Yiddish language
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
, essentially, being spoken in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. It's the 'setup, delivery, punch' that sitcoms live on today. That's where the origin of American humor
American humor
American humor refers collectively to the conventions and common threads that tie together humor in the United States. It is often defined in comparison to the humor of another country - for example, how it is different from British humor and Canadian humor...
is." Aykroyd has stated that he grew up watching Yogi Bear on the long, cold, dark afternoons in his native Ottawa: "As a kid growing up in Ottawa, Canada, where the sky turns dark in the winter at about 3:30, Yogi bear was my fire, my hearth, when I would come home. I would immediately turn on the TV while I thawed out."
Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
came in with a prepared Boo-Boo voice; when he was learning to sing when he was younger, he imitated various cartoon characters.
Eric Brevig
Eric Brevig
Eric Brevig is a film director and visual effects supervisor known for his work in several major theatrical films and television shows...
said that he intended to make a film that did not want parents who remembered watching Yogi Bear cartoons to feel marginalized and displaced by the contemporary rendition of Yogi Bear.
Release
The film's first trailer was released online on July 28, 2010. It was also attached with Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty GaloreCats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore is a 2010 family action comedy film directed by Brad Peyton. The film stars Chris O'Donnell and Jack McBrayer. The film also stars the voices of James Marsden, Nick Nolte, Christina Applegate, Katt Williams, Bette Midler, and Neil Patrick Harris...
and Alpha and Omega
Alpha and Omega (film)
Alpha and Omega is a 2010 3D American computer animated comedy-drama film produced by Crest Animation Productions and Richard Rich. The film is directed by Anthony Bell and Ben Gluck, starring the voices of Justin Long, Hayden Panettiere, Dennis Hopper , Danny Glover and Christina Ricci.The film...
. A second trailer premiered with Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, and a third trailer premiered with Megamind, Tangled, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. It features a Todd Collins song called "Walk, Walk, Walk." One of the trailers was also attached with UK showings of Tron: Legacy.
The film was originally slated for release on June 25, 2010, but was pushed back to December 17, 2010 to avoid competition with Grown Ups.
Effects
Rhythm and Hues provided CGIComputer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
character animation for Yogi Bear, Boo-Boo Bear and the Turtle in the film. The company had previously worked with Hanna-Barbera on past theatrical productions: The Flintstones
The Flintstones (film)
The Flintstones is a 1994 American live-action comedy film based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon television series of the same name about a Stone-Age man, his family and his best friend. The film was directed by Brian Levant, written by Tom S. Parker, Jim Jennewein and Steven E...
(1994), its prequel Viva Rock Vegas
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas is a 2000 comedy film and prequel to 1994's The Flintstones based on the hit cartoon series of the same name, produced by Amblin Entertainment and Hanna-Barbera and distributed by Universal Studios...
(2000), Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo (film)
Scooby-Doo is a 2002 American comedy film based on the Hanna-Barbera television cartoon series Scooby-Doo about a group of young detectives and their talking dog. It is the first installment in the Scooby-Doo live action film series...
(2002), and its sequel Monsters Unleashed
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed is a 2004 film, and sequel to 2002's Scooby-Doo based on the Hanna-Barbera series classic, Scooby-Doo. It is the second installment in the Scooby-Doo Live-Action film series. It was directed by Raja Gosnell, who also directed the first film, and was written by James...
(2004).
Critical response
Yogi Bear received generally negative reviews from film critics. Based on 90 reviews collected by Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, the film received a 13% "Rotten" approval rating for critics, with an average score of 3.5/10. The site's consensus stated "Yogi Bears 3D effects and all-star voice cast are cold comfort for its aggressively mediocre screenplay." The compiled score on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
is 33 out of 100.
One of few positive reviews came from film critics at Spill.com
Spill.com
Spill.com is an award-winning video game and movie review, discussion, and news website created by cartoonist and animator Korey Coleman. It is the continuation of the 9 year old Austin, Texas based Public-access television cable TV show called The Reel Deal...
, who appreciated the film staying true to its original source material, and not trying to "hip it up", comparing the 2007 film Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks (film)
Alvin and the Chipmunks is a 2007 comedy film directed by Tim Hill. Based on the animated series of the same name, the film stars Jason Lee, David Cross, and Cameron Richardson with the voices of Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Jesse McCartney. It was distributed by 20th Century Fox and...
. The critics also liked Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake's performances. Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media , commonly known as CSM, is a San Francisco-based non-profit organization which serves as a guide for parents that has reviews for most media types, including books, movies, video games, music, and websites, and rates them in terms of violence, sex, and profanity. The website...
gave the film one star, saying "Dumber-than-average family comedy won't even impress kids." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the film two stars, and summed up their review by saying "Of course, Yogi Bear is meant as a kids movie. And one supposes that it works on that level (the little ones at the press screening I attended seemed mildly amused). But we learned long ago that kids movies can operate on more than one level, and that's not something that director Eric Brevig (Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D) or his screenwriters are interested in. The result is a movie that's dumber than the average bear. Though at least it has a piss joke in it."
Box office
Yogi Bear debuted at the American and Canadian box office at #2 behind Tron: Legacy, with an under-performing $16,411,322; compared to Tron Legacys $44,026,211. The opening weekend was lower than Warner Bros. expected, but executives believed that the film would hold well throughout the holiday season. The film earned $28 million in its first seven days, becoming Warner Bros.' top-grossing start for a family film for that year. In its second weekend, the film fell 53% to $7.8 million, falling to fifth place.This number was a much harder fall than what Warner Bros. was hoping for, but it blamed the drop on Christmas Eve landing on a Friday plus the big snowstorm in the eastern United States during that period. On Monday, that blame seemed justified, as the film jumped up 11% from Sunday to $3.6 million, which was altogether a 33% jump from its previous Monday. In its third weekend, the film jumped up 66% to $13 million and ranking fourth. The next weekend, it dropped 46% and ranked eighth with $6.8 million. Over the Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend, it was able to pick up $7.4 million for the four-day, jumping up 12% from the previous weekend.
The film has picked up $100,246,011 in the U.S. and Canada and also has a worldwide total of $201,584,141. Against an $80 million budget, the film has become a surprise box office hit.
Awards and Nominations
2011 Teen Choice Awards2011 Teen Choice Awards
The 2011 Teen Choice Awards hosted by Kaley Cuoco aired live on August 7, 2011 at 8/7c on Fox. This was the first time that the ceremonies were aired live since the 2007 show...
- Choice Movie: Animation Voice - Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
(nominated)
Home media
Warner Home VideoWarner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
released the film on Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
/DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on March 22, 2011 in three versions:
- DVD (single-disc)
- Blu-ray (single-disc)
- Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy
- Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy