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Yogi Bear: Movie Review

JC — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:03 +0000

Hide your pic-a-nic baskets and run for cover, people, because Yogi Bear and Boo Boo are back to reek havoc on the forest! This time around disaster strikes in 3D/live action, which indicates sheer elation for children and gut wrenching nausea for parents. Director Eric Brevig teams up with Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake, and Anna Faris for this “Jellystone” adventure that opens in theaters nationwide this Friday.

Check out the review below…

The Players:

Director: Eric Brevig
Producers: Donald De Line, Karen Rosenfelt,
Writers: Brad Copeland, Jeffrey Ventimilia, Joshua Sternin
Cast: Justin Timberlake, Dan Akyroyd, Anna Faris, Andrew Daly

The Plot:

Jellystone Parl’s notorious troublemakers, Yogi Bear and Boo Boo, embark on another troublesome adventure of lunch stealing in the forest. Days of dodging his nemesis, Ranger Smith, and irritating daily campers seems like strictly fun and games – however, the party’s over when Yogi gets wind of some upsetting news: Jellystone Park is being sold! Desperate to save the forest, Yogi and Boo Boo reluctantly team up with Ranger Smith to devise a plan.

The Good:

Yogi/Boo Boo: While Yogi Bear appeals to a fairly limited audience, the characters of Yogi and Boo Boo hold incredibly iconic significance in the history of animation. Timberlake and Aykroyd had quite a responsibility in re-creating/paying tribute to the original “voices.” Aykroyd rarely fails to please, so noting his fabulously goofy rendition of Yogi is almost unnecessary. Timberlake, on the other hand, was surprisingly great, given that you don’t exactly pin the pop star turned “actor” as a family-movie kind of chap. You can take the boy out of the Mickey Mouse Club but can’t take the Mickey Mouse Club out of the boy, eh?
Live Action/3D Animation: Not that this is remotely original, but the live action coupled with 3D animation made for a perfectly entertaining adventure. Also, a little human to human action made the experience slightly less grueling for those of us over the age of 10.
Environmental Message: The film is ultimately encouraging children to embrace nature, which is an excellent thing to promote to a generation so deeply distracted by technology. Bravo!

The Good/Bad:

Cheesy: I’ll keep it brief: It’s Yogi Bear. If you aren’t babysitting your neighbor’s kid or being dragged to a family outing, you have no business in the theater.
Supporting Roles: “Kiddy” tones, over-exaggerated smiles, and tediously annoying melodramatics are warmly welcomed in this genre – but all of the supporting characters (Faris, Daly, Coddry) took these “luxuries” a notch too far. Some of the deliveries borderline obnoxiousness. Yes, they are children, but they aren’t imbeciles.

Overall:

I, personally, have little patience for animated adventures (!) but I imagine there are plenty of keen supporters of both this genre and Yogi, himself. As long as your expectations don’t exceed the realities of animated children’s films, you’re set.

Rating: 6/10

The film opens nationwide Friday, December 17th!

Interview: Justin Timberlake and Dan Akroyd Talk Yogi Bear

JC — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:30:09 +0000

Grab your pic-a-nic baskets and run for cover, people, because Yogi Bear and his tomfoolery have returned to the forest. Warner Bros. and director, Eric Brevig, present a 3D adventure that is sure to make adults nauseous and children ecstatic. Yogi and Boo Boo, voiced by Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake, have received grave news: Jellystone Park is being sold!

We were fortunate enough to sit down with the actors to get their two cents on the picture. Check out the interview below…

You both had quite a responsibility in reviving the voices of two, iconic animated characters. What was that like?

Dan Akroyd: The characters are long establishing in American culture, from the 1960′s. They were well written and well done. Even though it was flat panel animation at the time, they had a lot of heart and a lot of sweetness that made them endure. We wanted to get as close as we could to the characterizations that were there originally because this is a re-tribute to that great Hanna Barbara franchise – so we wanted to be true to that. He can’t help who he is and I can’t help who I am, so I think you can hear that a lot of our personality comes through in the voices and a lot of our own vocal skill. [Justin's] dryness is incredible, he really channels this character. It’s a two-hander with an incredible supporting cast.

Justin Timberlake: I think an interesting thing about the process of voicing these characters, and so genius of Eric, the director, was he had Dan and I come to record together. We had two or three sessions together because we really did see this as a Batman and Robin, if you will, sort of duo. It really made a difference with the rhythm of the banter between Yogi and Boo Boo. In the specifics of re-voicing such iconic characters, we were honored to pay tribute to multi-generational characters and knowing these characters would be introduced to young minds for the first time. We were encouraged to put a new spin on them. I was just excited to wear a bow-tie.

Were you pleased to be a part of a project that’s ultimately encouraging children to embrace nature? Especially in a generation that’s so distracted by technology?

DA: Put up the texting, put up the Blackberry, put up the laptop, at least for a long weekend once or twice a month. We are ruining the attention span of this generation. It’s time to get back to nature and see that there are other creatures out there. I grew up on the edge of a national park and had to walk to school, and that’s when I used to watch Yogi. In the afternoons after walking through this park – timber wolves, creeks, snow drifts, a bat highway.

JT: I did a film about the birth of social networking and it drove me crazy even being part of that movie. It’s way beyond my brain span, I grew up in Tennessee on the edge of a state park.

Justin, you’re voice is responsible for the bulk of your career. What was it like to use your voice in such a specific capacity?

JT: At the risk of ruining my social life, funny enough, I kind of learned how to sing when I was a kid imitating singers on the radio; Al Green and Michael Jackson and Don Henley, but also I was an only child and obviously really bored. I would entertain my parents by imitating Scooby Doo and Boo Boo, all the cartoon voices.

What was the recording process like for you?

JT: Ha, they all shot this live action in New Zealand and then Dan and I show up and there were these weird stencil drawings running through and it was our job to find what we thought was funny. I grew up with Hanna-Barbara cartoons and I don’t think I realized I would be in character as Boo Boo the entire time. I grew up with them and laughed with them as a kid – nostalgia is probably the reason I did the film.

Were you able to jump right into the Boo Boo? Or was there any vocal-character prep required?

JT:I did some sessions by myself toward the end of the process. Hanna Barbara had a knack for creating characters that stand the test of time. It had weight with me as a young person, as well as with Dan, which speaks so much about how well these characters were thought out when they were first created. Getting the voice of Boo Boo, I had someone on hand with the old 60′s and 70′s cartoons and I would sit there and listen to it in between takes and before we would start ou sessions. It would take me 15-20 minutes to really get it – this is all really boring, geeky vocal stuff – but to get your palate to the right level of the character, after the first 20 minutes, I would go back and re-record everything we’d done in the first half hour. You just get in the pocket of the tone and inflection. I’m really killing any sort of coolness I had before I got here.

Check out Akroyd and Timberlake’s vocal talents in Yogi Bear in theaters this Friday December 17th!

Dan Aykroyd Joins Jim Belushi on The Defenders

Krystal Clark — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 01:47:04 +0000

Dan Aykroyd is getting ready to make an appearance on the small screen for a guest spot on the new CBS series “The Defenders.” The show stars Jerry O’Connell and James Belushi, who happens to be the younger brother of John Belushi who starred opposite Aykroyd on “Saturday Night Live” and in the Blues Brothers. It will be like a family reunion — sort of.

According to the official CBS Twitter (via THR), “This Just In…DAN AYKROYD reunites w Blues Brothers partner JIM BELUSHI guesting on “THE DEFENDERS” in early 2011 as a judge needing help!” Belushi and Aykroyd have worked together before in the later years of the Blues Brothers run along with John Goodman.

Aykroyd will appear in two episodes of “The Defenders” as a tough as nails judge who clashes with Belushi’s lawyer character. If you watch the show, you already know that this will be a clash of the titans. That guy doesn’t like to lose a case, and he hates it when things don’t go his way.

“The Defenders” airs on CBS Wednesdays at 10 pm.

What do you think of Aykroyd appearing on The Defenders? Do you watch the show?

Yogi Bear 3D Trailer – Justin Timberlake is Surprisingly Good

Krystal Clark — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:57:13 +0000

After warming us up with a movie poster, Warner Bros has unveiled the first trailer for their upcoming CGI/live action adaptation of Yogi Bear. The famous forest creature and his sidekick Boo Boo, will be hitting the big screen accompanied by the voice talents of Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake (this guy’s in everything). Check out the trailer…

The trailer is introduced by an enthused Aykroyd (someone’s happy to be working again) who takes us into the new world of Yogi Bear. The film is based on the popular Hanna-Barbera cartoon series of the same name that originally debuted in 1958.

Yogi Bear is scheduled to hit theaters on December 17th but I’ll be sitting in IMAX watching Tron Legacy that day. Sorry, 3D Yogi. Maybe this will be the Alvin and the Chipmunks of last year? In December, it opened right after Avatar and still made a decent amount of money. Maybe Warner Bros is hoping that will happen here?

On a side note, Timberlake’s Boo Boo voice isn’t that bad! Maybe he should stick to voice acting?

What do you think of the first trailer for Yogi Bear? Are you interested in seeing the film?

First Poster for 3D Yogi Bear Movie

Krystal Clark — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:56:04 +0000

Are you smarter than the average movie goer? If so, you’ll probably run in the opposite direction before seeing this film. I’m talking about the new computer animated Yogi Bear movie. That’s right, Hollywood has once again gone back in time, raped one of the classics, drenched it in 3D, and are presenting it for your mass consumption — again. Over at Yahoo Movies, the first poster has been released for the film and it scares the living crap out of me. Is this a family flick or a horror movie? Take a look…

Official Synopsis:

Jellystone Park has been losing business, so greedy Mayor Brown (Andrew Daly), decides to shut it down and sell the land. That means families will no longer be able to experience the natural beauty of the outdoors — and, even worse, Yogi and Boo Boo will be tossed out of the only home they’ve ever known. Faced with his biggest challenge ever, Yogi must prove that he really is “smarter than the average bear” as he and Boo Boo join forces with their old nemesis Ranger Smith to find a way to save Jellystone Park from closing forever.

Yogi Bear is directed by Eric Brevig and stars Dan Aykroyd as the title character and Justin Timberlake as his sidekick, Boo Boo. I can’t even describe my anger at THAT casting but whatever. The film is based on the popular Hanna-Barbera cartoon series that originally debuted in 1958 with the lead character voiced by Daws Butler.

The 3D Yogi sucks. That’s not the bear I grew up with. Suddenly I have the urge to turn to the Boomerang Network and watch some old school cartoons because this CGI stuff is ruining everything!

Yogi Bear is scheduled to hit theaters this holiday season on December 17, 2010. Good luck trying to beat out Tron Legacy with that one!

What do you think of the first poster for Yogi Bear?

VOTD: Funny or Die Presidential Reunion

Krystal Clark — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:57:00 +0000

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen some of our favorite comedians get together and pull off a really good skit. Over at Funny or Die, they recently released a video that features several “Saturday Night Live” alumni doing their famous impersonations of Presidents from the past. The actors include Will Ferrell, Dana Carvey, Darrell Hammond, Dan Aykroyd, and even Chevy Chase joined the party! By the way, the sketch was directed by Oscar winner Ron Howard. Take a look…

The video starts off with a worrisome Barack Obama as played by Fred Armisen, confiding in his wife Michelle, portrayed by Maya Rudolph. After the President and his wife go to sleep, they get awakened by several members of the Presidential past. Ferrell returns as George W. Bush, Hammond reprises his role of Bill Clinton, and Dana Carvey comes back as big papa Bush, George H.W.

They don’t just focus on the political figures from the past two decades, they go back even further with Akyroyd’s Jimmy Carter and Chase’s Gerald Ford. Everything was going according to plan until Jim Carrey randomly showed up as Ronald Reagan. The last time I checked he was on “In Living Color” during the nineties. Who the hell saw that coming?

I must admit, Aykroyd and Chase’s performances are my favorite. They really are oldies but goodies.

Funny or Die’s Presidential Reunion from Will Ferrell

What do you think of the Saturday Night Live Presidential Reunion? Who gave the funniest performance?

Aykroyd, Timberlake, and Faris Join Yogi Bear

Krystal Clark — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:32:59 +0000

Can we stop the madness with all these animation adaptations? Variety is reporting that Warner Bros has plans to produce a live action/CGI version of Yogi Bear. Remember, Yogi? He was smarter than the average bear as well as a petty thief, and according to the trade he’s going to get some help from the likes of Dan Aykroyd, Anna Faris, and Justin Timberlake.

Dan Aykroyd is in negotiations to voice Yogi, Justin Timberlake is in talks to play his sidekick Boo Boo, and Faris will take on the role of a documentary filmmaker. Yogi will be directed by Eric Brevig from a script by Brad Copeland and produced by Donald De Line and Karen Rosenfelt. The movie will be based on the popular Hanna-Barbera cartoon character that originally debuted in 1958 and was voiced by Daws Butler.

Aykroyd has been landing work recently left and right. We recently told you about his gig in the upcoming John Landis black comedy, Burke & Hare and he’s still holding out hope for Ghostbusters 3. Timberlake is in the process of transforming himself into a serious actor by tackling one of the primary roles in the David Fincher flick, The Social Network. Who would have thought ten years ago that this kid would still be making moves in the industry?

Shooting on Yogi is scheduled to begin in New Zealand next month.

What do you think about the casting for the Yogi Bear movie?

Dan Aykroyd Cast in Burke and Hare

Krystal Clark — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:11:20 +0000

This may night be the reunion you were looking for (Ghostbusters 3), but Dan Aykroyd‘s most recent film gig is still pretty eventful. The actor will once again join director John Landis in a feature film and this time it’s for the upcoming adaptation of Burke and Hare. The leads have already been cast with Simon Pegg and David Tennant in the title roles, so this should be interesting.

According to Bloody Disgusting, Aykroyd, has joined the cast of the Gothic comedy in an undisclosed role. This will be his eighth feature film with Landis so it will be a comforting return to the big screen for the actor. Burke and Hare centers on a pair of Irish immigrant murderers in early 19th century Edinburgh who sold on the corpses of their victims to the local medical college. Along with Pegg and Tennant, Aykroyd will also join Bill Nighy in the film.

With the exception of the two protagonists, everyone else’s character descriptions are being kept under lock and key. What’s up with all the secrecy? This is supposed to be a black comedy, so perhaps it adds to the ambiance of the whole thing, either way the film is shaping up quite nicely. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Landis or Aykroyd in the limelight, not to mention the excitement of Mr. Tennant co-headlining a feature film? Best Doctor Who ever!

What do you think of Dan Aykroyd joining the cast of Burke and Hare?

Dan Aykroyd On Ghostbusters 3

Krystal Clark — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:40:22 +0000

There are many long awaited film sequels in the works and Ghostbusters 3 in one of them. We’ve heard updates from various actors, producers, and even the director of the previous movies in regards to the status of the film. Co-star Dan Aykroyd recently spoke about the new movie Wednesday night on the radio show Coast to Coast AM with George Noory, and he gave listeners an earful.

Aykroyd told the host and the audience that Sony is very excited about the film, and screenwriters Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg are currently “hacking out a first draft.” For the most part, Ghostbusters 3 has been a dream project for fans everywhere. They want a reunion and it seemed like a far fetched idea for a very long time. Even Akyroyd admitted that the third movie is a lot closer to reality than he could have imagined.

The actor didn’t go on to clarify any other details regarding the film from that point on, but he does leave a little hope. Other rumors that have been circling the film have to do with the reluctance of certain actors returning. For the most part, Bill Murray has been pointed out as the original “buster” who doesn’t want to put on his overalls. Not to be mean, but he doesn’t want to commit to anything because a script hasn’t been nailed down yet. The last time I checked, that wasn’t reluctance, that was common sense.

Once an official draft as been submitted for revision to the studio, then we can start hounding the cast and the director. Until then, everything is just talk.

What do you think about a third Ghostbusters? Do you want to see another installment in the series?

ScreenCrave.com » dan aykroyd

Yogi Bear: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Good:

The Good/Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 6/10

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