Brother Bear / Brother Bear 2 (3-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray / DVD]

Disney proudly presents two heartwarming and hilarious movies in one incredible collection - Brother Bear, the 2003 Academy Award nominee for best animated feature, and Brother Bear 2 - together for the first time on Blu-ray. Bring home an entire forest full of fun, complete with digitally restored high definition picture and sound. After an impulsive boy named Kenai is magically transformed into a bear, he and his little brother bear, Koda, take a courageous (and often hilarious) journey to see the Northern Lights. Experience the excitement of these two fantastic films like never before on Disney Blu-ray!

Brother Bear has a dramatic story--after he kills a bear, a young hunter named Kenai (voiced by Joaquin Phoenix, Gladiator) in prehistoric North America is turned into a bear himself and hunted by his own brother--but the animated movie's tone is more earnest and warm than tragic, focusing on the unfolding relationship between Kenai and an orphaned bear cub named Koda (voiced by Jeremy Suarez). However, it's often the comic supporting characters who prove the most popular, and a pair of moose voiced by Rick Moranis and Doug Thomas in their McKenzie brothers/Canadian dude mode (from SCTV and the movie Strange Brew) will win many fans. The songs by Phil Collins are typically negligible, but the hand-drawn animation is lush (occasional flashes of computer-generated animation clash with the movie's overall look). Kids will also enjoy the mammoths; no sabre-toothed tigers, unfortunately. --Bret Fetzer