Brother Bear is a sweet celebration of brotherhood in its many forms. It gently encourages human communion with animals, nature and our fellow man.



The lovely animation, in traditional 2-D, is by the Florida-based team that made Mulan and Lilo & Stitch. Its cast, mostly talking creatures ranging from towering woolly mammoths to sprightly chipmunks, feels quintessentially Disney. Even Phil Collins' songs (which in Tarzan sounded blandly generic) work well in this lilting tale.

Kenai (voiced by Joaquin Phoenix) is the youngest of three brothers living in the Pacific Northwest 10,000 years ago. In a Native American ceremony, in which a wise and wizened woman shaman presides, he is bestowed his special totem: a bear that signifies love. The totem is chosen by the Great Spirits, but Kenai is teased by his brothers, who had gotten totems for manlier attributes such as wisdom and guidance.

Just after the rite of passage, a bear makes off with Kenai's basket of fish. The immature and impetuous boy goes after the bear. His wiser older brothers rush to protect him.

In an exciting struggle between man and bear, Kenai's beloved older brother Sitka (D.B. Sweeney) is killed. Now Kenai is hellbent on avenging his brother's sacrifice. Ignoring the advice of his more measured middle brother, Denahi (Jason Raize), he battles the bear, emerging as the victor. Mere seconds later, the Great Spirits, through the inexplicable magic of the Northern Lights, transform Kenai into a bear to teach him a lesson. Denahi arrives later, and seeing torn bits of his brother's clothes and a bear standing over them, assumes the bear has killed Kenai. In his grief, he casts off his peaceloving ways and goes after the bear, not knowing he's really menacing his own brother.

At this point, Kenai's adventures truly begin. Brother Bear's message of tolerance and respect for nature rings loud and clear. And family audiences are treated to a vibrantly hued movie with appealing characters.

It's not one of Disney's most ambitious features, but it's a worthy one nonetheless.