The Quadrangle

Issue date: 11/1/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Open Season, a new animated feature directed by Jill Culton, Roger Allers and Anthony Stacchi, is a story of a domesticated bear named Boog and a deer named Elliot who are stranded together in a forest. Boog is looking to return home, while Elliot is in search of a new home.
Boog is raised by Beth, a forest ranger in a town called Timberline, as if he was one of her own children. She provides food for Boog, shelter in her garage, and she even sings a lullaby to him at night. The love and affection that they feel for each other is apparent in the aforementioned scenes.
Raising a grizzly bear amongst humans is an issue that is open for controversy and a lot of discussion. With this in mind, the directors shed light on the bear's "instinctive behavior." How Boog reacts when not with Beth and how he is easily influenced by Elliot.
Boog's struggle begins when he acts out of control and succumbs to peer pressure. Boog gets punished for misbehaving in Elliot's company. He gets drunk and vandalizes a convenience store. And, as a result, Beth is forced to leave Boog in his "natural habitat" and allows him to grow and survive on his own in a forest. She listens to the town's sheriff's advice that the sooner she lets go of Boog, the better it will be for both of them.
The directors do an amazing job with bringing humor to Elliot's character. Elliot is struck by misfortune and considers himself a loser. He is looking for support and acceptance, which is why Elliot keeps on referring to Boog as a "buddy." Elliot is truly a funny character, who lightens the mood in the movie.
Of course, what is a movie without a villain? Shaw is an obnoxious maniac who collects animal's heads and is after Elliot. His motto in life is to maintain the order where man dominates animals. Shaw feels like he is just fulfilling his purpose in life by hunting all the animals.
The climax of the movie comes, when all the animals' lives are in danger because of the Open Season. All the hunters are in town, and these animals work all year long to find a place to hide. But because of a little accident by Boog, everything is destroyed and they are homeless. As a result, they are placed right outside Timberline. This gives Boog an opportunity of the lifetime to save the forest, and he organizes a team of all the animals to fight against the hunters.
Martin Lawrence is the voice of Boog. Lawrence fails to deliver an impressive performance. Boog was sometimes boring, or just a grumpy bear and his voice did not stand out of the crowd. Ashton Kutcher, on the other hand, does a superb job portraying Elliot. However, there is a concern because at times one could not always differentiate between Elliot and Ashton.
The overall rating of the movie varies. As far as kids are concerned, the movie should be entertaining; there are exciting scenes especially when all the animals are in a battalion fighting bravely against hunters. But, for many adults it is just another typical children's movie.

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