--- title: "Brother Bear: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/brother-bear/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/brother-bear" critics_score: 45 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Brother Bear (2003): what the critics said Critics' score 45 from 11 reviews: 2 positive, 2 mixed, 7 negative. Most critics find Brother Bear warmhearted but too familiar, with praise clustering around its hand-drawn animation rather than its storytelling. The reviews repeatedly admire the rich colours, expressive movement and detailed landscapes, even when they find the film dramatically thin. Reservations centre on a formulaic story, sluggish pacing and characters who struggle to engage; occasional charm and emotional warmth do not persuade most critics to recommend it. The spread is wide, however. Empire finds delightful family entertainment despite the darker material, while Eye for Film enjoys the friendship between Kenai and Koda, with reservations about ideas younger viewers may struggle to follow. The songs divide opinion more sharply: Variety praises their percussive appeal, whereas The Guardian finds Phil Collins’s power ballads grating. Slant Magazine’s objections go beyond familiarity to the film’s sexist implications and simplistic treatment of Native American spirituality. ## Empire — Natasha Aitken Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Aitken finds it delightful, entertaining family fun, despite a story that can feel unusually dark. She especially praises the rich colors and visual beauty of the spirit world. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/brother-bear-review/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The review text is unavailable, so its verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or criticism can be verified from the page. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/brother-bear-2003) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 24 October 2003. The review treats the film as an earnest but uneven animated fable. Its headline singles out the story’s reversal, in which humans appear monstrous to a grizzly. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/24/movies/film-review-to-a-grizzly-humans-are-the-hairy-monsters.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 25 October 2003. Turan finds the film warmhearted but too conventional to fully embrace. He praises its rich, fluid, painterly visuals while faulting its familiar story and lack of dramatic originality. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-oct-25-et-turan25-story.html) ## Time Out — TCh Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds the film watchable but uninspired. It describes the animation as old-fashioned, without singling out a specific element for praise. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/brother-bear) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 2/5. 5 December 2003. The review finds the film formulaic and uneven, though it still has occasional moments of charm. It praises the hand-drawn animation and singles out Joaquin Phoenix’s voice performance for its emotional impact. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/brother-bear-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 1.5/4. 18 October 2003. Gonzalez pans the film as a dorky, schematically moralizing Disney feature. He particularly criticizes its sexist implications and its reduction of Native American spirituality to a simplistic spiritual spectacle. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/brother-bear/) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2003. Phipps finds the film gentle and visually splendid but lacking energy, with little to offer beyond its animation. He praises the expressiveness and beauty of the hand-drawn animation, while criticizing the subdued songs and sluggish story. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/brother-bear-1798199067) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 19 October 2003. McCarthy finds the film underwhelming, with a recycled feel and characters and story that fail to engage. He praises the handsome, detailed animation and the appealing percussive qualities of Phil Collins’s songs. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2003/film/awards/brother-bear-1200538552/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 5 December 2003. Bradshaw finds the Disney animation tame and weighed down by cultural assumptions and its soundtrack. He particularly criticizes the Phil Collins power ballads, which he describes as grating. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,4267,1099859,00.html) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 December 2003. The critic finds the film sweet and enjoyable, despite familiar Disney conventions and some hard-to-follow ideas for young viewers. They praise the breathtaking scenery and the friendship between Kenai and Koda. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/brother-bear-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/brother-bear.md