Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Bear

      2002 1h 18m Drama Adventure Animation List
      Reviews 71% Audience Score 500+ Ratings After losing their own cub, polar bears steal a human baby to raise. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

      View All (1) Critics Reviews
      Phil Hall Film Threat Don't blame the bears. Rated: 1/5 Mar 23, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

      View All (6) audience reviews
      Audience Member This reminded me of something that would be on PBS. The animation was very simple, but very cool. The story was touching, but kind of dragged; almost painful and annoying to watch at times. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member A dilemma everybody faces some time in their lives, who are they? This movie is a beautiful and moving story, with an amazing soundtrack. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review bill c This is a beautifully artistic animated movie. Each scene is set on a beautifully understated water colored back drop. Unlike most modern animated stories this movie does not have a liberal axe to grind. The movie opens up on an innuit mother after she has delivered her own son in a small, isolated one room hut. The father returns an names the boy bear beacause he has a bear spirit. The mother and father polar bears are chased by wolves and the exhausted near term mother slips off a cliff into the water. Father polar bear dives in and saves mother, later she delivers a still born polar bear. The male polar bear tries to console the female polar bear and is initially unable. He slips into the hut and bonds with the infant. The woman finds the bear holding her infant and attacks the bear with a spear. The bear knocks her across the room unconscious with a swath of his huge paw. The boy is eventually returned to his human family several years later, but never accepts being human or human language. He wishes to become a polar bear and seeks mystical assistance. This movie effectively tugs on heart-strings right to a near breaking point. I'm glad I did not read any of the reviews before I watched it with my 3 and 4 year old sons. The MPAA would have cut the following scenes: -In the opening scene the innuit mother is holding her new born and you can see a slight indication of hair on herbare lower waist. She holds up her son and he has "Simpson-esque"genitalia. -Open on the mother polar bear after she has delivered her new born pup and she licks his muzzle to get him to breathe. After she realizes there is no hope, she lays him down and exits the den and buriers the entrance to protect him from scavengers. The reviews of this movie are parents who want to set there children down in front of the video babysitter while they yap on there cell phones. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member The extreme harshness of the fantastical story and environment are beautifully softened by the simple animation techniques and soulful score. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Fantasy animated film about a boy who is stolen from his family as a baby and raised as a polar bear. Unable to adjust to being a human when rescued by his father he wishes to become a real bear. Endearing animation but childish animation and story make this one for the very young only. Plus really irritating voices in the dubbed version. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member a very good cartoon. I loved it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

      Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

      Photos

      View All The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Bear photos

      The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Bear

      The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Bear (2002) The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Bear (2002) The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Bear (2002) The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Bear (2002) View more photos

      Movie Info

      Synopsis After losing their own cub, polar bears steal a human baby to raise.
      Director
      Jannik Hastrup
      Screenwriter
      Bent Haller
      Production Co
      Dansk Tegnefilm
      Genre
      Drama, Adventure, Animation
      Original Language
      Danish
      Runtime
      1h 18m