SCREEN

There's nothing wrong with Open Season, per se. It's a breezy tale about a civilized bear forced to reconnect with nature and reconnect fast, lest he wind up with his head on somebody's wall. He's got a goofy sidekick to help facilitate this transition in the form of a one-antlered deer, and he inevitably meets an assortment of quirky woodland creatures, each equipped with a one-shot joke. The narrative feels like the result of stream-of-consciousness writing. We see Boog the bear in such a domesticated state, he actually accompanies the park ranger on errands in town. Then we see him get into random bouts of trouble—typically thanks to Elliot the deer—which results in Boog's exile into the wilderness, where the film becomes a road movie of sorts, with the odd couple of Boog and Elliot trying to get back to town. It's all rather uninspired, with the exception of the final battle between the forest critters and the hunters and a few bizarre recurring gags involving bunny abuse, which approach the sort of unpredictable zaniness this movie so sorely needs.

Martin Lawrence voices Boog with his usual attitude, which works swell in the scenes where Boog needs attitude, but feels inappropriate in others. Ashton Kutcher tends to steal the show as Elliot. His That '70s Show character may be the unflattering equivalent of Joey on Friends, but Kutcher proves he can score laughs when he wants them.

Open Season is a momentary diversion, sure to placate kids for a good 90 minutes. But computer-animated films used to do so much more than that. This one's better than Barnyard, but miles away from Toy Story or Finding Nemo, or even the Ice Age flicks. At least Open Season will spare you from cramming another awkward plastic case into your movie shelf.