Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Boog, a domesticated 900lb. Grizzly bear finds himself stranded in the woods 3 days before Open Season. Forced to rely on Elliot, a fast-talking mule deer, the two form an unlikely friendship and must quickly rally other forest animals if they are to form a rag-tag army against the hunters.
Open Season is a fairly formulaic early CGI animated comedy that follows a well-worn fish-out-of-water/unlikely buddy narrative. The plot hits predictable beats — domesticated animal learns to embrace the wild, forms friendship, leads ragtag group against villain hunters — without meaningful subversion. Voice acting from Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher is energetic but not particularly distinctive. The CGI cinematography is competent but unremarkable for its era, lacking the visual artistry of Pixar contemporaries. Novelty is low as the film borrows heavily from better-regarded animated films without carving out a truly unique identity. The ending wraps up neatly but without surprise or emotional resonance. A serviceable but forgettable animated adventure.