Open Season (2006) User Reviews

See It In IMAX 3D

[amarosi · 7/10 · 9 October 2006]

The kids loved it, and I was not bored, and that is more than what you usually end up with these days. The 3D IMAX is truly amazing, if you are already paying the theater admission then IMAX is definitely the way to go. The story is not original, to say the least, but they know it and keep it short. I liked the voice talent, although this "the wiener dog has a German accent" thing gets old fast. A lot of people seem to hate this one with a vengeance (look at the distribution of the votes with all those people giving 1), but it still gets a 5.5 average, so that gives you a pretty good idea. This is no Incredibles by any means, but the two little girls I took enjoyed it a heck of a lot more than Cars. Mostly harmless family fun with a few bathroom jokes thrown in: enjoy!

I Like Those Two Animated Underdogs

[Breumaster · 6/10 · 19 March 2020]

This movie was released in 2006, so the animations are not up to date, but still watchable. I like styl of the figures and the simple but lovely characters they made. Some jokes are silly, but there are enough jokes for the whole family. I guess it is mainly made for children at the age of 6 to 10 years. Some jokes are only for the parents, so they can have an entertaining time, too. It's no milestone, there were several better animated movies inbetween, like e.g. 'Inside Out' or 'Wreck-It Ralph'. Compareable animated movies about friendship are a dozen each year. In this case I like the two underdogs Boog, the civilized Bear and Elliot the looser elk, who build a partnership to survive in the woods. It's an unequal team like Stan and Ollie. I would recommend that for families with children between 6 to 10 years old. It's a nice movie for rainy days.

Who'd have thunk?

[aperez999 · 6/10 · 2 October 2006]

Matin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher rock as the big bear "Boog" and the comic sidekick deer "Elliot". Unfortunately, the story was bland and the jokes were only mildly funny, so it will not be one of the best kids movies you're going to see this year. The "Laugh out loud" index was maybe a 5-10 (laughs per movie). "Over the Hedge" was closer to 20-30 for comparative purposes. "Boog" and "Elliot" were well played. The Scottish squirrels, Beavers and Rabbits were funny, but the rest of the characters didn't make much of an impression. Although somewhat entertaining, it was quickly forgotten after we left the theater (with the exception of the Austin Powers like shadow scene behind the curtain). If you need to take the kids out to a movie, this is funny enough to make it worthwhile, but don't get your expectations up to high.

Knock-off of every CGI animated movie previously released.

[KungFu-tse · 6/10 · 12 October 2006]

I'd have to agree with the critics on this one. When you release so many CGI movies with talking animals, there is a point at which mediocrity becomes common place. Open Season is no exception.

It seems to me that a lot of these movies released this past year revolve around this basic formula. 1) A plot involving talking animals. 2) Hire celebrities to do the voice acting (need at least one comedian). 3) Have a main character and an annoying obnoxious sidekick. 4) Have some simple plot in which the main characters are on a journey and have to reach from point A to point B.

When watching Open Season, I couldn't help but notice the parallels to Shrek. Boog (the bear) = Shrek, and Elliot (the deer) = Donkey. Need voice actors? Easy, let's hire two comedians (Mike Myers & Eddie Murphy vs Martin Lawrence & Ashton Kutcher). Plot? Well, let's just make them stranded somewhere and they have to reach from point A to point B. In this case, from the forest to Boog's old home. Of course, I could make the same case with Finding Nemo (comedians Albert Brooks & Ellen DeGeneres, main character and sidekick, travel from point A to point B plot).

Now don't get me wrong, I love Shrek and Finding Nemo. The problem is that when you have two great movies like these released previously, you can't help but notice how much Open Season recycles from previous movies. Open Season lacks any emotional charm or comedic originality. Another problem I had is that a lot of the jokes are based on clichés and stereotypes (Scottish squirrels? Male deers = high school jocks? Ducks = French resistance? Female skunks = black women?).

If there's any redeeming value in this film, it would be the fact that I watched it in IMAX 3D. It looks amazing. Wearing the 3D glasses, I could see each individual patch of fur on Boog's back and the characters literally came out from the screen.

Is this movie good for the kids? Yes. It had some laughs in it and it does bring about a moral message about the preservation of wildlife. It's a good way to kill and hour and a half. But don't expect to see anything new or original in this film.

Quite a good entertainment, but not more than that

[Seraphion · 6/10 · 30 June 2014]

The story is nice, looking at hunting activity from the perspective of the ones being hunted. It is also being developed well with having additional complications. But the whole thing doesn't seem to hold together. The funny stuff doesn't really get funny. Martin Lawrence and Ashton's Kutcher's effort for crazy voices did just a little to help the movie to be funny. One strange thing I notice is that only Elliot, the one-antler goofed up mule deer that is the animal which stands on his rear feet beside Boog the Grizzly bear. It's quite normal to see bears and smaller critters like rabbits, squirrels and skunks portrayed standing on their rear feet because bear do that in reality. But concerning Elliot, he is the only other big animal who does that, while the other mule deer, including his love interest Giselle, stands on all four legs.

Cute, a few laughs, nothing original

[cybertigger1 · 6/10 · 4 February 2007]

I saw this movie today and I have to disagree with those who compare it to "The Incredibles" or "Cars." It's only slightly above average and not in any way original. There are a couple of laugh-out-loud scenes: When Boog and Elliot are fighting behind stage curtains and to the audience who can see only their shadows on the curtain, it looks as if Boog is gutting Elliot and splashing blood everywhere (actually the "guts" are ropes Elliot is tangled up in, and the "blood" is paint); and the scene where Elliot is explaining to Boog how to go to the bathroom in the woods, and suddenly just lets go with a stream of deer nuggets (thank heavens they don't show the grizzly dropping his droppings, though).

Silly, harmless fun (except for the bunny abuse ... what was up with that?), but again, nothing at a "Cars" or "Incredibles" level.

A funny, sweet film!

[BlackCat725 · 7/10 · 2 October 2006]

I saw this over the weekend with five 9-year-old boys, three 40ish adults and my 72-year-old mom. We ALL enjoyed it and thought it was cute and funny! It's too bad that it had to be released at the tail end of a year with so many other animated movies, but I think this one holds up against any of them for entertainment value. I thought the voice casting was great, and I LOVED the music. It was a simple story that you know is all going to work out in the end, but that's just fine with me. If I want complexity and angst and dark endings, I'll go see something else.

And I've GOT to learn all the words to Elliot's version of "Teddy Bear Picnic"...

A Nutshell Review: Open Season

[DICK STEEL · 5/10 · 2 December 2006]

OK, this year alone probably saw a record number of talking animal animations, with countless of punchlines filled with pop culture references, and big name stars attached to the projects, that it's about time we give the genre a good break, rather than churning them out continuously with more misses than hits.

And Open Season, probably the last one on offer this year from a Hollywood studio, suffers from this glut, unfortunately. Heck, with so much similarities between the movies, you can even spot a familiarity or two from the story lines, taking a a leaf from one of the earlier flop - The Wild, in having one of its stars here, part of a popular animal attraction, and another part from Over The Hedge, where a group of animals must band together for survival and a fight against adversity.

The leads for Open Season are a domesticated grizzly bear who has its own teddy bear soft toy (don't ask), and a mule-deer with one half of its horn sawn off. An unlikely pairing, a "loser and a loserer", voiced by Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher respectively. It's strange that there's a reversal of voice roles here, as Lawrence's Boog the Bear is uptight, while Kutcher's Elliot the deer is built in the same old wise cracking mould as Eddie Murphy's Mushu in Mulan, or Donkey in Shrek. In other words, Boog frequently gets punk'd by Elliot.

It's one of those recycled plots about loneliness, and having two misfits finding themselves in each other, relying on strengths from the other party in order to survive in new environments. A misadventure sees Boog go back to the wild, with Elliot in tow, and the two have to find a way to get back to civilization where Boog belongs. Along the way they encounter other critters in the woods of course, paving the way for some comedy and more recycled themes of bullies and the likes. Don't believe the trailers though, as the war between animals and humans, doesn't take up much screen time.

The sad part though, is that there aren't many funny moments to distract you from the rehashed story lines and subplots, but then again, it's a made for children movie. As always, there are some of the weaker characters which get used as punching bags, and here, this role belonged to the mindless rabbits, which some might find irritatingly adorable. My vote however goes to the nasty Irish-accented squirrels, defenders of their pine trees with their nuts, and in second place, those insane beavers.

At least the animals don't break out singing songs every now and then, though there are some nice musical numbers that went along with the movie. But all in all, this movie isn't as entertaining as, say, Over The Hedge, and neither is it as bad as The Wild. But don't say I didn't warn you if you find this a tad too boring.

Wait for the DVD, and rent it. Oei!

Somewhat Funny

[WeRTonitesEntertainment · 6/10 · 1 October 2006]

It was a cute kid movie. It made me laugh. I really liked it. My mom and sister really liked it also. But I was sort of upset at the way they treated the poor rabbits. I mean come on, who can't like those big eyes??? I feel so sad for them. The hunter guy was sort of scary in away. I felt sorry for Elliot with the way both of his horns got cutoff. Now that part was sort of sad. What was also sad was that Boog didn't go home with Beth. I like the movie altogether I guess. I thought it was aimed for kids from the ages of six-eight or nine. The propane tank was a nice touch. I loved how many animals wanted to come to the "safe" place with Boog.

Bear Hunt

[Rindiana · 5/10 · 24 December 2009]

Predictable kiddie fare with okay animation and some good throwaway moments here and there.

Nothing we haven't seen before, but mildly entertaining and not without its charms. But the overall air of second hand fodder remains intact all through its running time. There's no real heart to all the cartoonish goings-on.

The character work is lackadaisical and the bland songs should've been omitted.

Some of the sidekick critters are funny, though.

5 out of 10 paranoid hunters

This one surprised me.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 28 July 2018]

When I saw "Open Season", my first impression was that the film looked a bit substandard compared to the higher quality Pixar movies which preceded it. While this opinion didn't change much during the course of the movie, I was surprised that I ended up really liking it anyway. Why? Because the writing was so good...and it's worth seeing.

"Open Season" is the story of Boog the Grizzly who was raised by a forest ranger. When he is returned to the wild, Boog is totally out of his element and is assisted by a chatty and occasionally annoying mule deer. As the story progresses, they seem to be doing a horrible job of finding civilization and end up nearly being killed because hunting season has just opened. Can the pair and their many new forest friends manage to survive and thrive against the odds?

The story is in many ways reminiscent of "Ice Age" and "Shrek" where you have a big creature who is constantly annoyed by a smaller and very chatty creature who insists on being friends. Don't expect 100% originality in this department. However, why I enjoyed the film so much are all the wonderful supporting characters--all of which were likable, funny and cute. Overall, quite a bit of fun and despite its shortcomings, a terrific story.

Fun movie

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 23 November 2010]

I will admit Open Season isn't outstanding, but it was likable and fun. It is too short however, there are some predictable parts in the story and it occasionally feels too rushed. That said, it looks wonderful, with some lovely backgrounds and colours and the character designs are agreeable. The soundtrack is cool, the script has its funny moments with some of the more adult humour decently done and enough wit to satisfy anybody and the characters are likable especially Grizzly. Also the voice acting is surprisingly good, I was surprised at some of the choices(ie. Billy Connolly) of those to do the voices but all breathed life more than adequately to these fun characters. Overall I liked it, it was flawed yes but it was fun, that's all that matters at the end of the day. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Looks like a compilation from other 3D movies

[kin_ik · 2/10 · 1 October 2006]

If somebody decided to make a TV series based on Shrek, but because of copyright issues replaced main heroes with a bear and a deer - that would be Open Season. Oh, add a little bit of a plot from other animation features, few standard jokes and gags and 3D for IMAX and "disney"-style music and what else? "Crowd goes wild"? I do not know, but frankly there is nothing else... No, your kid may love it, if he or she has not been spoiled already by seeing the same plot, same heroes and same jokes over and over again. May be this movie is just another example, that technology alone - and here I mean not only computer animation, but also marketing and audience targeting and all this corporate style product building efforts - is never a replacement for real talent. I wish Sony Animation Pictures to be more revolutionary and less corporate in the future and not opt out for low budget TV style production.

Far from great, but quite fun

[aidanratesmovies · 7/10 · 25 July 2022]

Although it's beginning is pretty mediocre and its fish out of water formula can feel predictable at times- Open Season manages to be a very entertaining and often pretty funny little animated endeavor. Being the first film from Sony Pictures animation, I was honestly surprised at how little effort was made to make this a big franchise like Toy Story for Pixar, Shrek for Dreamworks, or hell even Hoodwinked had a sequel that made it to theaters! Somehow though, this franchise truly ended up getting the boot with nothing but straight to DVD sequels and quite horrible ones at that. Thinking back on how awful the third one was that I accidentally caught year ago on Cartoon Network, I had some serious doubts about the quality of this one going in. Its beginning is incredibly lackluster, perhaps the most generic buildup I have ever seen for an animated film- which is quite shocking because once the film gets going- it pulls a total 180 and manages to be quite fun. I enjoyed the look of the animals and creatures throughout, and found its animation style a little dated but quite fun to watch- certainly pretty good for the time. The plot has its ups and downs and ends up feeling like a bit of a discount Over the Hedge at times, but some of the jokes throughout are absolutely hilarious- not to mention it's incredibly wild moments (especially with its fight scene at the end), and a surprisingly touching ending that surprisingly somehow made me cry. In the end, Open Season isn't no masterpiece, nor does it challenge Sony's other great works like Arthur Christmas or even Surf's Up, but it does manage to be a rather good watch and certainly deserves less hate than what it got.

My Rating: 7.1/10.

Ahem.

[Perelandra · 23 January 2007]

You know, this is really getting tiring. The collective brain cell of non-Pixar animation studios needs to adapt to a few simple facts: --A buddy movie is not the required format for an animated film, and should that format be used, the concept that the buddies are in fact homosexual need not be presented to the four-year-old target audience in a ratio greater than one joke out of four.

--The remaining three jokes out of four need not involve bodily functions, indeed of any kind.

--Casting animals as protagonists in a story is a time-honoured tradition, although traditional animated deer spend less time making genital-related comments to squirrels, and more time weeping over their deceased parents in a doe-eyed fashion. However, the use of animals in a film does not directly necessitate animating all the human characters in a way designed to put aforementioned four-year-olds off the species for life. Politically speaking, it might be deemed disingenuous to sidestep the carnivorous habits of many of the furry friends while condemning hunters as immoral.

--Female skunks are a cheap shot.

That is all.

Over the Hedge better? what did you think

[iheartfries · 6/10 · 29 September 2006]

I sat with my boyfriend, the room was packed with kids, when the movie started, the theater grew quiet. Somehow I thought the movie was....violent for some reason and the humor was adult humor. Nowadays, people try so hard to make it for kids and adults. Or maybe it was my mood that time, but I laughed more in 'Over the Hedge'. The development in characters were much better in OTH than this one. It was just same old same old plot where you have a self centered character who teams up with a chatty and annoying buddy that soon will lead you to decide that believe that you have to go back for them. Sorta like Shrek in a way and Emperors new groove (but those two were a lot funnier). There were random parts like the lady and the dog, that came out from no where. Rabbits that were abused...its just...all over the place! Anyhow, its a kids movie...it just didn't seem to tickle my funny bone though. And...the movie ticket was expensive nowadays, 9.50 per person.

Decent movie - okay for my 5 year old

[jjpoprac · 7/10 · 23 October 2006]

It had its moments. I took my 5 year old son to see it. I was a little concerned because it was PG, but it wasn't bad. The worst swear word I heard was "crap", so not too bad. Scary for about 5 minutes when the bear is hiding in the hunter's cabin. Typical toilet humor, which goes great for the 5-10 year olds.

Overall, it was a good movie. Some funny stuff for the parents who have to take their kids to it. I liked the Braveheart references. The rabbits were particularly funny.

Although the ads make it look like the movie is about the animals fighting the humans, that is only a tiny piece of the movie. It is mostly about a fish out of water story, which makes it a bit dull because we've seen a lot of those.

Doesn't compare

[Bing5253 · 7/10 · 12 May 2007]

This animated film is not bad, maybe even quite good but it doesn't compare to any of the many other Disney films such as Finding Nemo, The Incredibles or Shrek. The animation was quite...interesting, different from many other films. The voices were fine, the plot was reasonably thin but it still kept me entertained for the duration of the film.

I suppose they did well enough not to use fish in another animated film so they were successful on choosing animals that I don't think have been used in any (or many) other animated films.

My suggestion to you is that if you see this film in blockbuster then get Shrek instead but if this is all you can get then don't worry, it isn't bad.

Shakes head wistfully

[mooseblw023-1 · 1/10 · 27 October 2006]

I've come to expect Hollywood to fill their wares with their liberal viewpoints, but anytime they take a political viewpoint and build a cute story around it with a target audience that hasn't reached puberty yet I see it more as propaganda than entertainment. I will grant you that it's clever and witty propaganda - but that just makes it worse. Quick name a few movies where the hunters are good guys. Not easy, is it? It's easy to find hunters as bad guys though. A few obvious and animated ones (just to keep the list short) are this movie, Rescuers Down Under, and Tarzan. Maybe instead of vilifying hunters we should focus on responsible game management which includes hunting as part of it. Don't start dishing crap that responsible game management is not appropriate for children to understand and then turn around and preach animal rights. The Lion King at least mentioned the 'Circle of Life' but they left man out of it. There are millions of people in the US alone that engage in safe, responsible hunting and hunting is included in science-based game management programs everywhere. Most money for conservation programs comes from hunters and hunting-related businesses. Hunting is pretty mainstream - quit demonizing it. I know that most of you will think I'm making way too much of a fuss out of a children's movie, but children grow up with half-formed opinions that are rooted in all sorts of things they were exposed to as children. Then they start voting based on those half-formed opinions. Rant over.

Non epic cute fun

[sinsro · 7/10 · 3 October 2006]

I read the reviews on IMDb before I saw this movie, and was pleasantly surprised. Not just because my expectations were so low, but found it to be quite enjoyable altogether.

It is naughty enough to entertain adults with its mild sense of black humour (if you like rabbits, prepare to be offended), and cute enough to charm the political correct. The animations themselves are absolutely on par with the best out there, and one scene where the animals race down the wild river is quite remarkable.

It is, of course, totally predictable, and brings home nothing new or extraordinary. It delivers exactly what you would expect. Just shut off your brain, enjoy the colorful animations and occasional laughs. Well worth a look...

Worst movie I have ever seen! Stay Away!

[jedichick070588 · 1/10 · 16 January 2007]

I'm not one to totally bash something, but nothing in this movie was slightly entertaining. If I could, I would rate this a zero.

My cousin (11) had wanted to see this movie so I agreed to go because I was baby-sitting her. We walked in a few moments late and had to sit in the front seat. About 20 minutes into watching it, I started counting how many times I said this was the worst movie ever. I haven't done that since I saw Legally Blonde with my sister.

The humor was non-existent, the characters were one-dimensional and I haven't seen such a boring plot-line since Napoleon Dynamite. The most entertaining part of the whole experience was watching the kid next to me react to the movie.

To put it short, run away from this movie as fast as you can. If you want to see something that kids and adults will enjoy, go see Night At The Museum or rent a tried-and-true movie from Blockbuster.

I hope my kids like it as much as I do.

[cricketbat · 9/10 · 6 August 2018]

Maybe I'm a little forgiving of this movie because of the positive memories it's associated with, but I really do think that Open Season is an entertaining film for parents and children. It has a number of jokes that make me laugh each time I watch it. I hope my kids like it as much as I do.

Open Season: The start of a new journey.

[martinezr-11775 · 6/10 · 10 July 2017]

In 2006, Sony Pictures Animation decided to make there move and make there first animated movie! Open Season. To be honest, it's actually a good start for the company. The movie is actually not that terrible! There is adult jokes in the movie. For instance, in the beginning when Ranger Beth was going to show that domesticated bear Boog was going to do, Boog see's some hunters while driving down and Boog decides to slap his butt in front of them. Extremely unnecessary, but funny too! It's a great movie for mature kids! 6 out of 10!

A waste of time.

[johndillon001 · 1/10 · 21 September 2007]

As the standard of animation continues to rise, its a shame that the quality of the features produces spirals downwards! Open Season is a prime example of how great animation doesn't make a good film. The film is completely let down by its voice actors.

Boog is obnoxious and selfish, and in no way likable. Its not Martin Lawerence playing the character, its simply him turning up and being himself. Same goes for Ashton Kutcher who voices Boogs friend.

The jokes are few and far between and the entire thing is a disgrace, acting as a quick buck for Lawerence and Kutcher.

The studios should give some real thought to hiring professional voice actors, rather than actors, who at best have limited talent as it is.

It's Snot What You Think

[inspectors71 · 27 March 2007]

Get by the left coast hatred of hunters and firearms and you're left with the mildly entertaining animated feature, Open Season. It's all blandly amusing to the wives and kiddies in the audience, and for me, a man who supports hunters' rights, yet has never hunted, there's a feeling that my time could be better used, but why bother. I'm with my family.

The thing I got most out of Open Season was the feeling that the makers of this harmless scat wanted to play with the big boys at Pixar and Dreamworks. There's something about a technical breakthrough at Sony that made the characters pop out on screen more, but the story is so weak that the critters get deflated.

I was wondering if I disliked Open Season because I don't care for Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher. Gary Sinise can do almost no wrong, but Debra Messing has to be seen instead of just heard. Probably the only character that made me laugh out loud was the Scottish squirrel, Billy Connelly. I kept seeing him in Mrs. Brown, flapping about in the surf, and the two images, both with nuts assaulting your senses, kept me chuckling.

How's that for weird!

Anyway, Open Season is a guaranteed money-maker, so grinching about it is pretty much pointless. If you do rent it, watch for the blue porcupine that keeps purring, "Buddy?" That's what made the wife and kid chuckle.

Compare that with my Billy Connelly story and you'll have a whole new sense of the weirdness of your humble movie critic.