Yogi Bear
0 Waffles!

After months of mocking the movie and predicting that Yogi Bear would be the film that destroyed my soul, I decided I had to see it. Sadly, I should have demanded that I be met at the theater with a pic-a-nic basket full of vodka and pumpkin pie. That has to be the way many on the set got through the experience, so why not me?

Dan Aykroyd provides the voice of Yogi Bear - the smarter than an average bear who spends his days stealing picnic baskets with his buddy Boo Boo (voice by Justin "I just cost myself an Oscar nomination for The Social Network" Timberlake). Of course, not all is well in Jellystone Park as the evil Mayor Brown (Andrew Daly) has hatched a scheme to sell off the unpopular park to balance the city's budget shortfalls caused by his own mismanagement.

Can Yogi, Boo Boo, Ranger Smith (Tom "Ed" Cavanaugh) and his new gal pal documentarian Rachel (Anna Faris) stop the Mayor?

Will they save Jellystone Park as it celebrates its 100th Anniversary?

Does anyone care?

Yogi might be smarter than the average bear, but this movie is not. In an attempt to appeal to kids, director Eric Brevig and the three person writing team (whose names have been omitted to protect their reputations) fill Yogi Bear with every joke you can imagine (or have a nightmare about) related to urination, farting, and stuff coming out of your nose. Also, Yogi is subject to so much slapstick, I was worried he might get waterboarded. Then, shockingly, he kind of does get waterboarded!

However, the worst part of Yogi Bear is the simple stupidity that fills the screen. Ranger Smith isn't qualified to manage a dog park let alone run a large national park. The dude has a talking bear in his woods, yet, can't sell any tickets and increase attendance?!?! Rachel is nothing more than a walking talking blonde joke cliché. The Mayor and his minion execute their evil schemes with the subtlety of a pie hitting Yogi in the face. You don't need to make adults idiotic to entertain kids.

I loved watching Yogi Bear cartoons as a kid, and I suggest you buy some of those on DVD before taking your kid to this abomination of a movie.

Yogi Bear is rated PG for some mild rude humor.