Cute cuddly teddy bears are fun and films have brought them one step closer through film-making by creating animated bears in movies. Many other animated animals entertain viewers, but none are quite as intriguing and diverse as bears. Some bear characters are ferocious and dangerous while others are intelligent and personable. Sometimes a team is successful when creating a visually appealing bear and pairing it up with a captivating storyline.
Then, there are those projects that "bearly" make it and don't really spark up much interest with the audience. There are so many lovable bears out there playing their "beary" best roles and here is a list of movies featuring them.
Worst: Balto (1995) - 7.1
The 1995 children's animation Balto is a popular story of Alaskan people, huskies, and wolves surviving difficult conditions. Balto (voiced by actor Kevin Bacon) has two tag-along companions on his journey to save a dog sled team that is trapped in a blizzard. The two companions are polar bears, Muk and Luk. The animated polar bears, as cute and goofy as they might be, are completely unrealistic to the situation of the plot. Polar bears would be survivors in such intense weather conditions but in the film, the duo is usually insecure, scared, silly, and dependent. They do add humor to the film but some viewers would agree that Boris Goosinoff the goose adds enough humor and can do without the bears.
Best: Paddington (2014) - 7.2
The little brown bear in the movie Paddington is a much-loved character who originally came from children's literature in 1958 and has been used as a character in many British stories. The film released in 2014 finally brought Paddington the bear to life with CGI in a live-action film starring Nicole Kidman and Jim Broadbent. The story follows an intelligent bear from the forest of Peru that makes his way to London. The movie was extremely successful and the visuals in the film were admired for their great depictions of Paddington the bear.
Worst: Brave (2012) - 7.1
The Disney movie Brave is a computer-animated Fantasy that follows the life of a beautiful but rebellious girl named Merida. Her disobedience and selfishness lead her to unleash dark magic which turns her mother into a bear. Merida must then discover true bravery and help undo the curse. Another bear named Mor'du is an evil demon-bear that was once an arrogant prince. Though the ranking is on the lower end of the list, it still received a decent score. One concept that may have led to its unpopularity is the fact that the mother bear is portrayed as a silly dumb bear after the audience very well knows that the mother in human form is smart, demanding, and reasonable. The "silly bear" idea is meant to add humor to the situation but it does create a detachment between the mother and the audience during her bear state.
Best: Christopher Robin (2018) - 7.3
One of the most loved childhood stories is Winnie the Pooh which followed the life of a cute and simple bear and his friends. His only human friend Christopher Robin was a young boy who often spent time with the animal characters and could speak to them.
The 2018 release Christopher Robin was a hit as so many fans had been anticipating its production. From some viewer's reviews, it's safe to say that most people loved the computer graphics used for the characters and could not be happier with the turnout. Also noted is the fact that the story starts when Christopher Robin is already all grown up making this film relatable to kids and adults alike.
Worst: Ted (2012) - 6.9
The movie Ted features an adorable computer-animated bear that grows up mentally but stays little all his life. For movie fans unfamiliar with the plot, this is definitely an adult animated film. The bear Ted builds a bond with his owner until they become best friends and literally do everything together into their adulthood. Of course, things get personal and emotional when life gets in the way of their friendship. The CGI work done for the character Ted is very amusing but completely unrealistic especially for the type of premise this movie expresses. There's a limit to how much one can only make an adult-minded teddy bear look real and there is a limit to the number of activities an adult little bear can do. Ranking rather low on the list, this film is entertaining but a bit ridiculous.
Best: The Jungle Book (2016) - 7.4
The 2016 release of The Jungle Book was a visual success. All of the animals in the movie were CGI animated and made to look as real as possible with moving facial features. The boy, Mowgli, is played live-action with a young actor named Neel Sethi who gives a stunning performance for his acting around these CGI animals. The movie ranks high on the list for best-animated bears in movies with Baloo being an amazing creation in the film. Voiced by actor Bill Murray, Baloo is very expressive and is a consistent character throughout the movie allowing audiences to really see and appreciate the animated work.
Worst: Brother Bear (2003) - 6.8
This animated movie is about a bear's life seen through the eyes of a human who's been transformed into a bear himself. It was a fun 2003 Disney animated film release but unfortunately, it never received much praise compared to most Disney animated movies. From critic reviews, the film was enchanting and had a good moral story-line but wasn't as memorable as most Disney films have been. One interesting fact is that the entire animation was hand-drawn and gave it a real classic feel which many viewers loved. Still, the bear characters in Brother Bear ranked on the lower end of the list for being too simple with not enough impact on viewers.
Best: Kung Fu Panda (2008) - 7.5
In 2008 DreamWorks Animation released Kung Fu Panda that immediately became a family sensation. Scoring high on the list, this movie is fun and adventurous with the main character a panda named Po. Po is excited and dedicated to overcoming his fears and insecurities to become a true master of Kung Fu.
The dangerous path comes along when he must fight evil forces with his fighting band of Kung Fu animals. DreamWorks released a few more sequels and Po from Kung Fu Panda has become a memorable character in this generation of children's animations.
Worst: The Golden Compass (2007) - 6.1
The live-action movie The Golden Compass starring Charlize Theron is an interesting story of magic, deception, and bravery. The movie follows a young girl who befriends an armored polar bear.
All of the animals in the movie are CGI but the Polar bears are the largest CGI creatures. The movie itself did not gain that much fame and many critics felt that the storyline was too slow and some areas were confusing, The animated bear was a dull expression of a polar bear and viewers felt that the graphics could have been more stunning.
Best: The Revenant (2015) - 8.0
For fans of Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant is considered one of his many great acting roles. There is a scene that many viewers would consider the most intense scene in the film where Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is attacked by a huge forest bear and almost mauled to death. The bear in the scene is a CGI generated creature that is huge and has very nightmarish yet realistic features that really make the whole scene pop out. Ranking at the top of the list, The Revenant truly takes the cake for best-animated bear in a movie.