Yogi Bear (film)

Last updated
Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Eric Brevig
Written by
Based on The Yogi Bear Show
by William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Peter James
Edited by Kent Beyda
Music by John Debney
Production
companies
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • December 11, 2010 (2010-12-11)(Westwood)
  • December 17, 2010 (2010-12-17)(United States)
Running time
80 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$80 million [2] [1]
Box office$200 million [1]

Yogi Bear is a 2010 American live-action/animated comedy film directed by Eric Brevig and written by Brad Copeland, Joshua Sternin and Jennifer Ventimilia. Based on the Hanna-Barbera animated television series The Yogi Bear Show , [3] the film stars Anna Faris, Tom Cavanagh, T.J. Miller, Nate Corddry and Andrew Daly, alongside the voices of Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake. The film centers on Yogi Bear as he teams up with his best friend Boo-Boo Bear, Ranger Smith, and nature documentary filmmaker Rachel Johnson to stop their home, Jellystone Park, from being logged. Production on the film took place in New Zealand in October 2008.

Contents

Produced by Donald De Line's De Line Pictures and Karen Rosenfelt's Sunswept Entertainment, Yogi Bear premiered at Westwood on December 11, 2010 and was theatrically released in the United States six days later on December 17 by Warner Bros. Pictures. Upon release, the film was met with largely negative reviews from critics and audiences for its writing, humor and lack of originality, though they praised the visual effects, vocal performances, particularly Timberlake's, and faithfulness to the source material. Despite its negative reception, the film was a box office success, having grossed $200 million worldwide against an $80 million budget.

Plot

Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo Bear are two talking brown bears who steal picnic baskets from campers at Franklin City’s Jellystone Park. Head park ranger Smith always finds out about the incidents from his co-ranger Jones and is annoyed that Yogi refuses to act like a regular bear. Meanwhile, Mayor R. Brown realizes that Franklin City is facing bankruptcy due to profligate spending on his part. Brown plots with his Chief of Staff to raise money for the town budget and his upcoming gubernatorial campaign by shutting down Jellystone and opening the land to logging. To save the park, Smith and Jones, with help from documentary filmmaker Rachel Johnson, whom Smith is instantly smitten with, hold a centennial festival and fireworks show in an attempt to sell season passes. To sabotage the event, Brown promises Jones the position of head ranger if the funds are not raised. Yogi and Boo-Boo had promised Smith to stay out of sight during the festival, but Jones convinces them otherwise. The bears try to please the crowd with a water skiing performance, but Yogi accidentally sets his cape on fire, causing fireworks to be launched into the crowd, who flee in fear.

After Jellystone is shut down, Smith is demoted by Mayor Brown to serve in the polluted and urban city park of Evergreen Park, and scolds Yogi for interfering with the festival. A dejected Yogi finally decides to act like a regular bear, but Boo-Boo gets him to come to his senses by showing him cut-down trees. Seeing that their home is in danger of being destroyed, Yogi and Boo-Boo travel to Evergreen Park, where they and Smith figure out Brown's plan; Yogi and Smith reconcile in the process. They all return to Jellystone with Rachel, where they learn that Boo-Boo's pet turtle is a rare and endangered species known as a "frog-mouthed" turtle, meaning that, according to law, the park cannot be destroyed if the turtle is living there.

The Chief of Staff learns about the turtle and sends Jones to kidnap it. On the day that Brown is planning a press conference to begin the destruction of the park, Smith, Rachel, and the bears rescue the turtle and try to bring it to the media's attention. Jones, learning that he had been deceived by Brown, has a change of heart and helps the team bring the turtle to the press conference. Brown has his guards steal the turtle and informs the group that he will break the law in order to achieve his goals and expresses confidence that if Ranger Smith tells the world about his crimes, that no one will believe him.

While Brown gives his speech at the press conference, the gang recall that Rachel had installed a hidden camera in Boo-Boo's bow tie for her documentary, which had captured Brown's confession. While Yogi and Boo-Boo distract the security guards, Ranger Smith hooks up the camera to the jumbotron Brown is using for his press conference and shows the video, causing the crowd to turn against him. Mayor Brown tries to deny that the confession was real, but is ultimately exposed after the turtle, having escaped from Brown's guards, reveals himself to the crowd. After Brown and his staff are arrested for their crimes, Jellystone Park is reopened and becomes a great success with Smith reinstated as head ranger along with the turtle as the park's main attraction. Smith and Rachel admit their feelings for each other and embrace, while Yogi and Boo-Boo return to stealing picnic baskets.

Cast

Production

In October 2008, it was announced that a live-action/animated Yogi Bear film was in the works. [3] [10] Ash Brannon was originally hired 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 in 3D. Principal photography took place on the Lake Whakamaru Reserve, Waikato, New Zealand as it was winter in the northern hemisphere, and to wait for summer of 2009 would put the production end time to be six months longer than if in southern hemisphere. Studio filming took place at Studio West in West Auckland. [11]

Like many Hanna-Barbera characters, Yogi's personality and mannerisms were based on a popular celebrity of his original cartoon's time. Art Carney's Ed Norton character on The Honeymooners was said to be Yogi's inspiration; [12] [13] his voice mannerisms broadly mimic Carney as Norton, [14] and Carney in turn received influence from Borscht Belt and comedians of vaudeville. [13]

Dan Aykroyd, the voice of Yogi Bear in the film, explained that he was trying to evoke the influences that shaped Daws Butler's original Yogi Bear voice: "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." [13] Aykroyd also stated that he grew up watching Yogi Bear on the long, cold and dark afternoons in his native Ottawa: "As a kid growing up in Ottawa, Ontario, 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." [15]

Justin Timberlake came on to the film with a prepared Boo-Boo Bear voice; when he was learning to sing when he was younger, he imitated various cartoon characters. Regarding the film, Brevig stated that he didn't want parents who remembered watching Yogi Bear cartoons in their youth to feel marginalized and displaced by the film's contemporary depiction of Yogi Bear. [13]

Rhythm and Hues Studios provided the character animation for Yogi and Boo-Boo Bear and the frog-mouthed turtle in the film; the company had also worked on previous films based on Hanna-Barbera productions, such as The Flintstones (1994) and its prequel Viva Rock Vegas (2000); Scooby-Doo (2002) and its sequel Monsters Unleashed (2004).

Release

The film was originally scheduled for release on June 25, 2010, but was pushed back to December 17, 2010 in order to avoid competition with Grown Ups . [3] In theaters, the film was accompanied by an animated Looney Tunes short titled Rabid Rider , starring Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. [16]

On December 13, 2010, shortly before the film was released in the United States, a fanmade parody video titled "Yogi Bear Parody: "Booboo Kills Yogi" ending" was uploaded on YouTube, serving as an alternate and darker ending to the film (as well as a spoof of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford ) in which Yogi finds Boo-Boo sitting on a chair carrying a double-barreled shotgun as he sees his own picture on a "Wanted" sign with a $5000 reward for whoever kills him. The video ends with fake end credits set to the song We'll Be Alright by Travie McCoy, showing Yogi turned into a rug. [17] [18] The parody was done by Edmund Earle, a 25-year-old Rhode Island School of Design graduate, who made the video in three months using only the trailers and promotional material as references. [19] After the video went viral on Twitter, this led to many people being concerned about whether or not the younger viewers would click on the video in the belief that it is the film's actual ending. While Warner Bros. didn't demand Earle to take down the video, they added a disclaimer telling that the video was done with no one affiliated with the studio or the film's production. [20] [21]

Marketing

The film's first trailer was released online on July 28, 2010. It was also attached with Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore and Alpha and Omega .[ citation needed ] 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 . One of the trailers was also attached with showings of Tron: Legacy in the United Kingdom.

Home media

Warner Home Video released the film on Blu-ray and DVD on March 22, 2011, in four versions:

Reception

Box office

Yogi Bear debuted at the American box office at #2 behind Tron: Legacy , with an under-performing $16.4 million [1] compared to Tron Legacy's $44 million. The opening weekend was lower than Warner Bros. expected, but executives believed that the film would hold well throughout the holiday season. [22] The film grossed $103.3 million in the United States and a worldwide total of $203.5 million against an $80 million budget. [1]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 13% based on 105 reviews and an average rating of 3.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Yogi Bear's 3D effects and all-star voice cast are cold comfort for its aggressively mediocre screenplay." [23] On Metacritic the film has a score of 35 out of 100 based on 23 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [24] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. [25]

Common Sense Media gave the film one star, saying "Dumber-than-average family comedy won't even impress kids." IGN gave the film 4.0/10, 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 pee joke in it." [26] [27]

Spill.com appreciated the film for staying true to its original source material and not trying to "hip it up", comparing it to Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007), another live-action/CGI hybrid film that was also poorly received.[ citation needed ]

Awards

AwardCategoryNomineeResult
Teen Choice Award Choice Movie: Voice Justin Timberlake Nominated
ASCAP Award Top Box Office Films John Debney Won
EMA Award Feature FilmYogi BearWon

Video game

A video game titled Yogi Bear: The Video Game was released for the Wii and Nintendo DS.

Possible sequel

In 2012, it was reported that a sequel was in the works, with Jay Chandrasekhar chosen to direct, [28] [29] but as of 2024, no further developments regarding the sequel have been announced.

Related Research Articles

<i>The New Yogi Bear Show</i> American animated television series

The New Yogi Bear Show is an American animated sitcom, and the sixth incarnation of the Yogi Bear franchise, produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that aired in syndication from September 12 to November 11, 1988. This series serves as the final season and a revival to the 1961 series, also serving as a continuation/sequel to the 1964 theatrical film adaption.

<i>Yo Yogi!</i> American animated television series

Yo Yogi! is an American animated television series, and the seventh entry in the Yogi Bear franchise, produced by H-B Production Co. that aired from September 14 to December 7, 1991, on NBC for 13 episodes.

<i>Hey There, Its Yogi Bear!</i> 1964 film by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera

Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! is a 1964 American animated musical comedy film produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and released by Columbia Pictures. The film stars the voices of Daws Butler, Don Messick, Julie Bennett, Mel Blanc, and J. Pat O'Malley.

Yogi's Great Escape is a 1987 animated made-for-television film produced by Hanna-Barbera as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series. The two-hour film aired in syndication.

Boo Boo and the Man is a 2002 short cartoon starring Boo Boo Bear, the sidekick of Yogi Bear. It was made by The Ren & Stimpy Show creator John Kricfalusi and his company Spümcø using Macromedia Flash. The short was one of the last Web Premiere Toons shorts produced for Cartoon Network's official website.

<i>Boo Boo Runs Wild</i> 1999 animated parody TV special of The Yogi Bear Show for Cartoon Network

Boo Boo Runs Wild is a 1999 stand-alone animated television special and a parody of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series The Yogi Bear Show. It was made by The Ren & Stimpy Show creator John Kricfalusi and his company Spümcø. Boo Boo Runs Wild originally aired on Cartoon Network on September 24, 1999, along with A Day in the Life of Ranger Smith, a similar Yogi Bear-themed stand-alone special. Despite Boo Boo being the arguable star of this short, it is title carded as "A Ranger Smith Cartoon". The short is dedicated to Ed Benedict, the original character designer for The Yogi Bear Show and other Hanna-Barbera properties of the 1950s–1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cindy Bear</span> Fictional cartoon character

Cindy Bear is a cartoon character created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. She is one of the primary supporting characters of the Yogi Bear franchise as well as a regular in the stable of frequently appearing Hanna-Barbera animated personalities. Cindy was originally portrayed by voice actress Julie Bennett, who reprised the part for most of the character's appearances from the 1960s through the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranger Smith</span> Hanna-Barbera cartoon character

John Francis Smith, more commonly referred to as Ranger Smith, is a fictional park ranger first appearing in the 1958 Yogi Bear cartoon series. The character is Yogi's main antagonist, and appears in other Yogi Bear series, including Yogi's Gang (1973), Yogi's Treasure Hunt (1985), and Yo Yogi! (1991), as well as the 2010 live-action Yogi Bear film. The cartoon character has been primarily voiced by Don Messick and Greg Burson.

<i>Yogis First Christmas</i> 1980 American animated musical television film

Yogi's First Christmas is a 1980 American animated musical television film starring Yogi Bear and produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It first aired in syndication through Operation Prime Time on November 22, 1980. Throughout the 1980s, it was offered to U.S. television stations split up one episode per day for four days as a one-week strip syndicated program, generally during the week of Christmas. The film was written by Willie Gilbert and directed by Ray Patterson.

Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears is a 1988 animated made-for-television film produced by Hanna-Barbera for syndication as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series. This Hanna-Barbera production was the last to feature Daws Butler as the voice of Yogi Bear and Julie Bennett as Cindy Bear. Yogi and Boo-Boo go on an out-of-this-world voyage. When they are kidnapped by spacemen, the duo are cloned, and the clone bears soon invade Jellystone Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boo-Boo Bear</span> American animated television and film character

Boo-Boo Bear is a Hanna-Barbera cartoon character on The Yogi Bear Show. Boo-Boo is a shorter anthropomorphic bear who wears a blue bowtie. Boo-Boo is Yogi Bear's constant companion, and often acts as his conscience. He tries to keep Yogi from doing things he should not do, and also to keep Yogi from getting into trouble with Ranger Smith – often saying, "Mr. Ranger isn't gonna like this, Yogi." It is not readily apparent whether Boo-Boo is a juvenile bear with a precocious intellect, or simply an adult bear who is short of stature.

<i>Yogis Ark Lark</i> 1972 American animated television special

Yogi's Ark Lark is a 1972 American animated television special produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, intended to raise ecological awareness. Written by Bob Ogle and Dick Robbins and directed by Joseph Barbera and William Hanna, it was broadcast on ABC on September 16, 1972, as part of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie and served as the two-part episode for Yogi's Gang.

Yogi the Easter Bear is an American animated television special starring Yogi Bear, produced by Hanna-Barbera and animated by Filipino animation studio Fil-Cartoons. It was broadcast in syndication on April 3, 1994. This is one of Don Messick's last voice-over roles; he suffered a debilitating stroke in 1996 and died in 1997. It would also be the last official Yogi Bear media for 16 years until the release of the live-action Yogi Bear film.

<i>Yogi Bears All Star Comedy Christmas Caper</i> 1982 American animated Christmas television special

Yogi Bear's All Star Comedy Christmas Caper is a 1982 American animated Christmas television special starring Yogi Bear. It is the third and final Yogi Christmas special. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, it first aired on December 21, 1982 on CBS. Along with Yogi's traditional cast, the characters also met up with many other Hanna-Barbera characters, including Magilla Gorilla and Fred Flintstone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huckleberry Hound</span> American animated television character

Huckleberry "Huck" Hound is a fictional cartoon character, a blue anthropomorphic coonhound dog that speaks with a North Carolina Southern drawl. He first appeared in the series The Huckleberry Hound Show. The cartoon was one of six TV shows to win an Emmy Award in 1960 as an "Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Children's Programming"; the first animated series to receive such an award.

<i>Yogi Bear and the Three Stooges Meet the Mad, Mad, Mad Dr. No-No</i> 1966 studio album by The Three Stooges

Yogi Bear and the Three Stooges Meet the Mad, Mad, Mad Dr. No-No is a 1966 comedy album produced and released by Hanna-Barbera Records. The album presents the Three Stooges as inept park rangers who are called upon to rescue Yogi Bear after he is kidnapped by Dr. No-No, a nefarious scientist who invented a machine that turns people into animals. This was the final album recorded by the Three Stooges.

The Yogi Bear Show is an American comedy animated television series, and the first entry of the Yogi Bear franchise, produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. A spin-off of The Huckleberry Hound Show, the show centers on the adventures of forest-dwelling Yogi Bear in Jellystone Park. The show debuted in syndication on January 30, 1961, and ran for 33 episodes until January 6, 1962. Two other segments for the show were Snagglepuss and Yakky Doodle. The show had a two-year production run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yogi Bear</span> American animated television and film character

Yogi Bear is an anthropomorphic animal character who has appeared in numerous comic books, animated television shows, and films. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts</span>

Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts is a chain of more than 75 family friendly campgrounds throughout the United States and Canada. The camp-resort locations are independently owned and operated and each is franchised through Camp Jellystone, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sun Communities. The current President of Camp Jellystone is Robert (Rob) Schutter, Jr.

<i>Yogi Bear</i> (video game) 1987 video game

Yogi Bear is a 1987 arcade adventure video game developed by British studio Dalali and published by Piranha Software. It was released in Europe for Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 (C64), and ZX Spectrum. In the game, Yogi Bear sets out to rescue Boo-Boo after he is captured by a hunter. Yogi Bear received praise for its graphics, but criticism for its controls.

References

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  2. ↑ Fritz, Ben (December 16, 2010). "Movie projector: 'Tron: Legacy' will dominate 'Yogi Bear' and weak 'How Do You Know'". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on December 19, 2010. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Zeitchik, Steven (October 1, 2008). "Yogi, Boo-Boo headed to big time". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2008.
  4. ↑ Justin Chang, "Yogi Bear," Variety , December 12, 2010. Found at Variety website Archived 2012-11-07 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  5. ↑ Melinda Miller, "'Yogi Bear' spoils the picnic: Film with potential winds up being mostly unbearable," Buffalo News, December 17, 2010. Found at Buffalo News.com website [ permanent dead link ]. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  6. ↑ Kirk Honeycutt, "Film Review: 'Yogi Bear' May Send Viewers Into Hibernation," The Hollywood Reporter , December 13, 2010. Found at Hollywood Reporter website Archived 2020-08-07 at the Wayback Machine , accessed January 10, 2011.
  7. ↑ Jacob, "TJ Miller Cast as Ranger Jones Thanks to Bizarre Audition," November 22, 2009, Beyond Hollywood website Archived 2012-10-06 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  8. ↑ Kristy Mangel, "T.J. Miller Cast in 'Yogi Bear'," November 18, 2009, The Apiary website Archived 2017-07-01 at the Wayback Machine . Accessed January 10, 2011.
  9. ↑ Yogi Bear Interview - T.J. Miller, December 4, 2010. Found at TV Guide website Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  10. ↑ Kimball, Trevor (December 5, 2008). "The Yogi Bear Show: Yogi and Boo Boo Coming to Movie Theaters". TV Series Finale. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Our Story". Studio West. Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  12. ↑ Sennett, p. 60.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Breznican, Anthony (August 24, 2010). "Yogi Bear gets a digital makeover". USA Today . Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  14. ↑ Sennett, p. 59.
  15. ↑ Hoffman, Liz (December 17, 2010). "Interview with Dan Aykroyd". Chicago Parent. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  16. ↑ News: Looney Tunes Shorts Attached To Upcoming Family Films Archived 2010-08-06 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  17. ↑ Yogi Bear Parody: "Booboo Kills Yogi" ending Archived 2021-03-19 at the Wayback Machine , YouTube, Retrieved 2020-02-11
  18. ↑ 'Yogi Bear': 'Boo-Boo Kills Yogi' in a fan-made fake ending Archived 2022-08-17 at the Wayback Machine , Entertainment Weekly, Retrieved 2020-02-11
  19. ↑ Eh Boo Boo, Why the Shotgun? Parody Video Slays Yogi Bear Archived 2021-06-13 at the Wayback Machine , Wired, Retrieved 2020-02-11
  20. ↑ For 'Yogi Bear' Parodist, A Suitable Penance?, npr.com, Retrieved 2020-02-11
  21. ↑ Warner Bros. Won't Demand Removal of Booboo Killing Yogi Bear Video, Forbes, Retrieved 2020-02-11
  22. ↑ "'Tron: Legacy' uploads at No. 1 with $43.6M debut". The Washington Times . AP. December 19, 2010. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
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  24. ↑ "Yogi Bear Reviews". Metacritic . Flixster. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  25. ↑ "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-02. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
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  27. ↑ "Yogi Bear Review". IGN.
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  29. ↑ "Yes, There Will Be A Yogi Bear 2". Empire . October 2, 2012. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
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