Yogi Bear parents guide

Yogi Bear Parent Guide

Coming in at just 80 minutes runtime, the predictable plot with good quality 3D effects is short enough to hold the attention of most young viewers.

Overall B+

If you go out in the woods today (of Jellystone Park), you'd better expect an encounter with Yogi Bear (voice of Dan Aykroyd) and his sidekick Boo-Boo (voice of Justin Timberlake) --especially if you bring a picnic basket! This live-action/animation mix is based on the TV cartoon.

Release date December 17, 2010

Violence B
Sexual Content A
Profanity A-
Substance Use A

Why is Yogi Bear rated PG? The MPAA rated Yogi Bear PG for some mild rude humor.

Run Time: 81 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Yogi Bear (voice by Dan Aykroyd) is no average ursidae. Living in picturesque Jellystone National Park with his little pal Boo Boo (voice by Justin Timberlake), the clever mammal prefers stealing lunch from unsuspecting park visitors rather than foraging in the forest for food. He hangs out in a cozy cave outfitted with human comforts including a pop vending machine that he confiscated from the ranger’s office.

But Jellystone’s Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh) has had enough of Yogi’s picnic basket pinching. The park is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary and the thievery is keeping people from coming to the wilderness location. As a result the recreational area is losing money.

Unfortunately the nearby town’s mayor (Andrew Daly) is also dealing with a municipal deficit (largely because of his exorbitant spending practices). While a town would never have charge of a national park, things appear to be different here. In order to encourage the electorate to vote for him in an upcoming gubernatorial run, Mayor Brown plans to sell off the logging rights for Jellystone and fill his city’s coffers with the funds.

Luckily for family viewing, this adaptation of the Hanna-Barbera television series is as good or better than the 1960’s cartoon. While many of the characters in this film are exaggerations (such as the corrupt politician and his fawning assistant played by Nathan Corddry), the stereotypes work because the script is as animated as the two main critters. Yogi still considers himself to be “smarter than the average bear” despite the fact that his plans frequently backfire or that his inflated sense of his own intelligence often put the pair in perilous situations. A wild trip through the river’s rapids and a precarious flight in a less-than-air-worthy craft results in moments of slapstick humor. The movie also employs a pie-in-the-face routine and other typical gags from the original televised program. But the mishaps don’t stop this tie-wearing forest creature from trying to help Ranger Smith save the mountainous destination from deforestation.

Coming in at just 80 minutes runtime, the predictable plot with good quality 3D effects is short enough to hold the attention of most young viewers. And though a romance between the socially inept Ranger Smith and an equally awkward documentarian (Anna Faris) won’t be as engaging as the antics of the two bears, the characters in this forest adventure will keep most family audiences happily entertained.

Directed by Eric Brevig . Starring Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake, Anna Faris. Running time: 81 minutes. Theatrical release December 17, 2010. Updated

Yogi Bear
Rating & Content Info

Why is Yogi Bear rated PG? Yogi Bear is rated PG by the MPAA for some mild rude humor.

Violence: The movie contains frequent portrayals of slapstick humor. A character falls, is hit in the head with a sign, burns his foot and is smashed in the face with a pie. It is implied that a man is hit with a large rock and later accidently staples his own finger to a post. A corrupt politician attempts to cover his misdeeds by lying to his citizens.A firework mishap sends rockets shooting at spectators (no injuries result). A woman chokes a man with his necktie. Characters argue and experience moments of peril.

Sexual Content: Brief kissing and embracing is depicted.

Language: The script includes infrequent name-calling.

Alcohol / Drug Use: None noted.

Other: The movie contains a moment of rude bathroom humor when an animal suggests urinating on another character. A bear attempts to eat a slug that crawls out of his nose.

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Yogi Bear Parents' Guide

Why is it difficult for Ranger Jones (T.J. Miller) to be an assistant ranger? Why does he think he is better qualified to be the head ranger? What skills do organizations like the Boy Scouts teach young people?

What does Yogi learn about being true to himself? What do the other characters discover about themselves?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Yogi Bear movie is March 22, 2011. Here are some details…

Yogi Bear releases on home video on March 22, 2011, in the following packages:

Yogi Bear (DVD) includes:

- Jellystone Jewels: Litterbug

- Jellystone Jewels: Yogi’s Secret Hiding Spot

- Yogi Bear Mash-Up

Yogi Bear (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) and Yogi Bear (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy) both offer:

-Spending A Day at Jellystone Park

-Yogi Bear Mash-Up

-Looney Tunes Short: Rabid Rider

- Game: Are You Smarter Than The Average Bear?

Related home video titles:

T.J. Miller who plays Ranger Jones also lends his vocal talents to the character Tuffnut in How To Train Your Dragon. Anna Faris does voice work in both Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Tom Cavanagh stars as the dad in How to Eat Fried Worms.