Brother Bear
Movie, 2003, The 2000s, Set in The end of the Ice Age
Brother Bear is #19 of 20 in release order and #2 of 20 in chronological order in the Disney Animated Classics.
The story
When an impulsive boy named Kenai is magically transformed into a bear, he must literally walk in another's footsteps until he learns some valuable life lessons. His courageous and often zany journey introduces him to a forest full of wildlife, including the lovable bear cub Koda, hilarious moose Rutt and Tuke, woolly mammoths and rambunctious rams.
Brother Bear recap
In North America at the end of the Ice Age, Kenai is the youngest of three Inuit brothers. He receives his totem, the bear of love, and is unhappy with it. A bear steals fish, Kenai chases it, and his oldest brother Sitka dies saving him. Kenai kills the bear in revenge, and the spirits, led by Sitka, turn him into a bear. His middle brother, Denahi, believing Kenai is dead, hunts the bear that killed him. The shaman Tanana tells Kenai to go to the mountain where the lights touch the earth to find Sitka. He meets Koda, a talkative bear cub separated from his mother, who leads him to the salmon run, along with two Canadian moose, Rutt and Tuke. Kenai learns from Koda's story that the bear he killed was Koda's mother. He confesses, and Koda runs away in grief before forgiving him.
Brother Bear ending explained
Kenai chooses to stay a bear so he can raise Koda. On the mountain, Denahi corners Kenai, and Kenai protects Koda from his brother. Sitka's spirit appears and turns Kenai human again, but Kenai sees that Koda needs him and, with Denahi's blessing, asks to be a bear again. Kenai lives among the bears at the salmon run, and his people honour him as a man.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Brother Bear
Brother Bear is streaming on Disney+ in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 6.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes 38%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Treasure Planet, before Home on the Range.
- Chronological order: after Dinosaur, before Hercules.
What to watch before Brother Bear
In release order, 18 Disney Animated Classics essentials come before Brother Bear (2003), from The Little Mermaid (1989) to Treasure Planet (2002).
Cast
- Joaquin Phoenix as Kenai (voice)
- Jeremy Suarez as Koda (voice)
- Jason Raize as Denahi (voice)
- Rick Moranis as Rutt (voice)
- Dave Thomas as Tuke (voice)
- D. B. Sweeney as Sitka (voice)
- Joan Copeland as Tanana (voice)
- Michael Clarke Duncan as Tug (voice)
- Harold Gould as Old Denahi (voice)
- Paul Christie as Ram #1 (voice)
- Danny Mastrogiorgio as Ram #2 (voice)
- Estelle Harris as Old Lady Bear (voice)
Directed by Aaron Blaise, Robert Walker.