Review - The Country Bears (2002)

       Hey guys, Chuck here. Did you know that in the early 2000's, Disney released a movie that can easily be described as a kid-friendly version of The Blues Brothers? Based on the Disney Parks attraction County Bear Jamboree, the 2002 musical road comedy The Country Bears was directed by Peter Hastings, and stars Christopher Walken, Stephen Tobolowsky, Diedrich Bader, M.C. Gainey, Daryl Mitchell, and Alex Rocco, with appearances by Krystal, Brian Seltzer, Jennifer Paige, Queen Latifah, Don Henley, Willie Nelson, and Elton John, and the vocal talents of Haley Joel Osment, Kevin Michael Richardson, Brad Garrett, Toby Huss, Candy Ford, and Stephen Root. 

      The movie tells the story of Beary Barrington, an adolescent bear who was adopted by a human family. Having a sense of not fitting in, Beary found solace in a country rock group known as the Country Bears, all four members of which are bears. The Country Bears consisted of Zeb Zoober, Tennessee O'Neal, and brothers Fred and Ted Bedderhead, but they split years ago after their Hibernation Tour. 

       One night, after a couple of conversations both his adopted parents and their son Dex, Beary leaves the Barrington home and decides to go to the one place he feels he might feel a sense of belonging: Country Bear Hall, where the Country Bears got their start. Unfortunately, it seems he's almost too late, as a banker named Reed Thimple is set to tear the place down due to the amount of money owed against the property. After talking with the caretaker, Big Al, and the band's former manager, Henry Dixon Taylor, Beary suggests getting the Country Bears back together to.hold a benefit concert to raise the money to save County Bear Hall. And, NOW, you guys see the obvious comparison to The Blues Brothers. Put the band back together to raise money needed to save the band's home. This was, very much, what Jake and Elwood did to cover the tax bill on the orphanage they grew up in: reassembled their band to raise the money with their music. And, here, we see it happening again, just with bears. 

      Anyway, after reminiscing about better times, Henry decides to go along with Beary's idea, and along with the band's old drummer Roadie, both Henry and Beary head out in the Country Bears' tour bus to get the band back together, starting with Fred Bedderhead. Fred, it turns out, is working set security for a music video shoot for Krystal, and she turns out to be a fan of the Country Bears, and invites Fred to play his harmonica in the video. Fred agrees to rejoin the band, but asks about promotion. After a nearly rebuffed suggestion from Beary, Henry calls up manager and promoter Rip Holland, who is available and sets up a date for the concert at County Bear Hall. 

       At the same time, the Barringtons go out of their way to enlist two police officers, Hamm and Cheetz (I'm serious), to locate Beary and bring him home. And, to show how ridiculous this movie is, we see Mrs. Barrington has baked DOZENS of pastries, including a chocolate cake, she's so upset that Beary left. Meanwhile, Henry, Beary, and Fred heat to a bar that caters to humans and bears, when the band's fiddle player Zeb Zoober has racked up an extensive bar tab for all the honey he consumed. Beary, being the naive young bear he is, cuts a deal with the bar owner, whom Zeb refers to as Cha-Cha for some reason, for a music duel between Zeb and the house band. If, Zeb wins, his tab is squared, but if the band wins, Cha-Cha gets the Country Bears' tour bus. But, of course, Zeb wins and is free to leave. 

       While en route to pick up the next band member, Tennessee O'Neal, Henry reminisces about how the band's first gig saw them best a kid named Benny Bogswoggle, whose musical talent was, I shit you not, musical armpit farting. Anyway, what's Tennessee up to? Well, unable to get over his breakup with Trixie St. Claire (who played keyboard for the band), he went on to become a marriage counselor. And, he manages to keep couples together simply because he breaks into tears whenever he sees them in a session. Anyway Tennessee joins the rest of the band for breakfast, where their waitress recognizes them and sings one of their songs. But, officers Hamm and Cheetz show up, leading to a chase that goes through a car wash, and it's about as hilarious as you'd expect. But, they find a local hotel where Trixie is a performer, and she and Tennessee rekindle their connection and she rejoins the band. 

       To locate the final band member, Fred's brother Ted Bedderhead, the band heads to a house they believe is Ted's, where Elton John points them to a country club he's gone to for a wedding party, and Ted refuses to rejoin the band. Fred, who learns that his brother has become a wedding singer, knocks Ted out cold with a single punch and drags him onto the bus. After an awkward drive, Ted airs out his grievances, which leads Beary to realize how much his family loves him, and he runs back home to the Barrington house, where everyone is happy to see him. Meanwhile, the Country Bears read an essay Beary wrote about them, and they decide to put on the reunion concert, with Beary as a new member of the band. And, believe it or not, it's Ted that invites him to join the band. 

       But, the rest of the band was abducted by Reed, who reveals his motivation is one of revenge, as Redd is ACTUALLY Benny Bogswoggle, the armpit fart musician from years before. But, with help from his family, Beary is able to work with Ted to free the rest of the band and get to Country Bear Hall. But, upon arrival, they learn that Reed bought off Rip, who never marketed the concert. But, luckily, Big Al DID market the show, and merely had everyone park around back, as to protect his grass. And, as promised, the band has Beary play with them in front of the live crowd. 

        The Country Bears is impressive with the animatronic bear suits, all designed and crafted by the Jim Henson Creature Shop. But, most everything else about the movie is, well, not nearly as praiseworthy. The acting is over the top, especially from Christopher Walken, the music guests are certainly questionable and definitely date this movie in the early 2000's, and the world is equal parts familiar and surreal. In a way, the world of the movie The County Bears is a version of our world where anthropomorphic bears simply exist and are part of our society. But, it's weird that the Barrington's, aside from Dex, ignore this fact when it comes to Beary.  Definitely an odd one for Disney, but still entertaining if you're in the right kind of mood for something like The County Bears.

       Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you in the next review.