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Christopher Walken, Stephen Tobolowsky, Daryl Mitchell, M.C. Gainey, Diedrich Bader ... see more see more... , Alex Rocco , Meagen Fay , Eli Marienthal , Queen Latifah , Krystal Marie Harris , Don Henley , Wyclef Jean , Elton John , Willie Nelson , Bonnie Raitt , Brian Setzer , Don Was , Xzibit , Haley Joel Osment , Candy Ford , James Gammon , Brad Garrett , Toby Huss , Kevin Michael Richardson , Stephen Root , Charles S. Dutton , Richard Kind , John Hiatt , Brian La Rosa

This family musical enjoys the dubious distinction of being the first film ever based on a theme park attraction, the "Country Bears Jamboree" at Disneyworld. Beary Barrington (voice of Haley Joel Osm... read more read more...ent) is an adolescent bruin raised by a human family after he was found by a park ranger, abandoned in the forest. Curious about his biological roots, Beary travels to Tennessee to seek out his birth parents while attempting to locate the members of his favorite musical group -- a defunct country music act called the Country Bears -- along the way. Country Bear Hall, the famed venue where the band was launched, is facing imminent destruction at the hands of greedy banker Reed Thimple (Christopher Walken), but young Beary has a plan to save the hall by staging a reunion benefit concert. Beary's path takes him through a guitar duel, a vintage coffee house, and a car wash, as he's pursued by a pair of bumbling cops (Diedrich Bader and Daryl "Chill" Mitchell) trying to reunite him with his adoptive parents. Meanwhile, a panoply of musical legends including Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, and Queen Latifah appear Behind the Music-style to comment on the Country Bears' alleged artistic influence on their work. The Country Bears, the first in a pair of planned Disney projects based on the company's theme park rides (the second is slated to be based on "Pirates of the Caribbean"), co-stars Stephen Tobolowsky, Brad Garrett, Alex Rocco, and Stephen Root. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Flixster Users

38% liked it

10,151 ratings

Critics

30% liked it

80 critics

G, 1 hr. 28 min.

Directed by: Peter Hastings

Release Date: July 26, 2002

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DVD Release Date: December 17, 2002

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Stats: 407 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (407)

  • romy861
    February 25, 2010
    romy861
    For a kid's movie, this was actually decent. The bears are cute and the story is okay. One of the few kids films I have seen that hasn't made me want to pull my hair out just for something else to do!
  • ythelastman89
    November 20, 2009
    ythelastman89
    It was fun to see another Disney ride brought to life, but this was in no way a good movie. It was extremely corny and had an overused plot. It would've been better as an animated movie, because the Disneyland attraction is about singing bears.
  • StarCrossedVoyager
    July 25, 2006
    StarCrossedVoyager
    i thought this was well good lol!
  • SickOfTryingToThinkOfAUserName
    September 15, 2011
    SickOfTryingToThinkOfAUserName
    I watched quite some time ago, and almost all I remember from the movie was how much I absolutely HATED it. Just a bad, bad movie, in my opinion.
  • scrambledegg7
    December 21, 2007
    scrambledegg7
    This is one of the most bizarre movies I've ever seen. It was made in 2002, but it was clearly meant to be made as a Disney live-action musical in 1963 or so. It feels *exactly* like one of those. It has a lot of Jay-Wardesque humor that is totally different than I've come to exp... read moreect from children's movies these days -- in a good way. Not a terrible movie, by any means... although it does have enough "Wait, what, huh?!" moments to make it only okay.
  • phoenix92901
    October 6, 2007
    phoenix92901
    OK... I admit to seeing and enjoying this cute movie and I don't even have the excuse of saying that there was a kid with me at the time... LOL.
  • djskyler
    September 13, 2007
    djskyler
    Disney has this bad habit of getting the rights to recognizable franchise characters and then making horrible low-budget garbage films from them. The modernized country bears in this disaster are made to resemble some sort of traveling Willie Nelson band, which probably reflects... read more the producer's wish to hang out with cool bands but it will never happen because he makes shit films like this.
  • davyjkurlander
    July 8, 2007
    davyjkurlander
    Horribly awful awfulness. There was no potential in the first place, the bears look fake and have no chemistry, and all the acting is stupid.
  • guitargurl1
    June 21, 2007
    guitargurl1
    Cute! A lot like the Blues Brothers because of the musicians it got together! They had some really big people with cameos! Very cool.
  • jamescomans
    May 30, 2007
    jamescomans
    Legendary. In my summer working at the movie theater, this was the ONLY movie all summer that I could not sit through for free.

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Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper
July 31, 2002
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

It's mildly amusing, but I certainly can't recommend it. Full Review

Michael Atkinson
July 30, 2002
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice

This ingrown mutant is easily the most bizarre children's film made in this country since 1982's lab-rat apocalypse The Secret of NIMH. Full Review

Joe Leydon
July 29, 2002
Joe Leydon, Variety

Pic as a whole is a gently and genuinely amusing treat that should bring smiles to target auds. Full Review

Desson Thomson
July 26, 2002
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

If you're looking to take your children to something harmless, that doesn't embarrass anyone, this light comedy ... is your next outing. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
July 26, 2002
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

So awkward, so leaden, so virtually laugh-free that it's guaranteed to bring down the Happy Meals it's being marketed with. Full Review

Daphne Gordon
July 26, 2002
Daphne Gordon, Toronto Star

It's just that it's so generally mediocre, bland and predictable that I found myself moaning every time I looked at my watch, which was often. Full Review

C.W. Nevius
July 26, 2002
C.W. Nevius, San Francisco Chronicle

The Country Bears has no scenes that will upset or frighten young viewers. Unfortunately, there is almost nothing in this flat effort that will amuse or entertain them, either. Full Review

Gene Seymour
July 26, 2002
Gene Seymour, Newsday

After a while, the only way for a reasonably intelligent person to get through The Country Bears is to ponder how a whole segment of pop-music history has been allowed to get wet, fuzzy and sticky. Full Review

Susan Stark
July 26, 2002
Susan Stark, Detroit News

It's a diverting enough hour-and-a-half for the family audience. Full Review

John Monaghan
July 26, 2002
John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press

Entertains not so much because of its music or comic antics, but through the perverse pleasure of watching Disney scrape the bottom of its own cracker barrel. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • Reed Thimple: This is not over....BEARS!
    • Reed Thimple: Do you like the sound of crunching wood? ...I do.
    • Dex Barrington: Okay. This is my baby picture. This is yours.
    • Beary Barrington: Yeah?
    • Dex Barrington: See this? This is my birth certificate. Here's yours. The rangers used this to track you.
    • Beary Barrington: So, what's your point?
    • Dex Barrington: Forget it.
    • Beary Barrington: Mom? Am I adopted?
    • Mrs. Barrington: Of course not, honey.
    • Dex Barrington: Hey, Beary! Doofus! Time for dinner!
    • Beary Barrington: [sitting on the bus' sunroof] WOO HOO! WOO HOOOO! WOO HOOOOOO!
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The Country Bears Trivia

  • what was the name of the bear that ran away in ''The Country Bears''  Answer »
  • In the Country Bears what was the name of the little bear that set out to save Country Bear Hall?  Answer »
  • Which actress starred in all of the following movies. ~Jungle Fever (1991) ~Set It Off (1996) ~The Bone Collector (1999) ~The Country Bears (2002) ~Scary Movie 3 (2003)  Answer »
  • What Movie is this Plot Line from? This true story follows a Polish countess who, hoping Napoleon will free her country from the Russians, becomes his mistress and bears him a child.   Answer »
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