William Hanna and Joseph Barbera had a hell of a run—both died just short of 100. In that century of life, the two witnessed everything from the last days of the Wild West to the creation of the atomic bomb and the rise of the Internet, but thankfully they weren’t alive to see this shit.
Yogi Bear is the latest attempt by Hollywood to murder iconic Hanna-Barbera characters via live action film (e.g., Scooby Doo, The Flintstones). From its abundance of humorless ass-related humor—pratfalls, bear booty-shaking and fart jokes—to its two-dimensional lessons on relationships and environmentalism, Yogi Bear is a movie made for children or those of childlike mind.
As it’s not difficult for me to imagine a pantless, potbellied Dan Aykroyd wobbling through the woods in search of picnic baskets, the casting of Aykroyd as Yogi doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch—even if his Yogi impersonation is a bit off from the source material. Justin Timberlake’s Boo-Boo is spot on; to his credit, you really have to strain to hear JT in there. Yogi and Boo-Boo’s human counterparts are Tom Cavanagh (Ed) as Ranger Smith and Anna Farris (Scary Movie) as Rachel, a filmmaker looking to make a documentary about Jellystone’s most famous resident. Neither is really noteworthy, so if you’re a big Cavanagh or Farris fan (really?), you won’t be missing out.
The Yogi Bear Show was never exactly the crown jewel of the Hanna-Barbera fleet, but it deserves better than Yogi Bear. Sadly, those with kids in their movie-going crew have very few PG-rated choices this holiday season, meaning this bumbling bear will probably rake in enough picnic baskets full of cash to ensure a sequel.
--Eric Pulsifer
Yogi Bear is the latest attempt by Hollywood to murder iconic Hanna-Barbera characters via live action film (e.g., Scooby Doo, The Flintstones). From its abundance of humorless ass-related humor—pratfalls, bear booty-shaking and fart jokes—to its two-dimensional lessons on relationships and environmentalism, Yogi Bear is a movie made for children or those of childlike mind.
As it’s not difficult for me to imagine a pantless, potbellied Dan Aykroyd wobbling through the woods in search of picnic baskets, the casting of Aykroyd as Yogi doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch—even if his Yogi impersonation is a bit off from the source material. Justin Timberlake’s Boo-Boo is spot on; to his credit, you really have to strain to hear JT in there. Yogi and Boo-Boo’s human counterparts are Tom Cavanagh (Ed) as Ranger Smith and Anna Farris (Scary Movie) as Rachel, a filmmaker looking to make a documentary about Jellystone’s most famous resident. Neither is really noteworthy, so if you’re a big Cavanagh or Farris fan (really?), you won’t be missing out.
The Yogi Bear Show was never exactly the crown jewel of the Hanna-Barbera fleet, but it deserves better than Yogi Bear. Sadly, those with kids in their movie-going crew have very few PG-rated choices this holiday season, meaning this bumbling bear will probably rake in enough picnic baskets full of cash to ensure a sequel.
--Eric Pulsifer
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