Open Season

Open Season is the 2nd to last of the current hefty batch of animated films focused on a domesticated animal forced to readjust to life in the wild – South Africans still have to wait for Dreamworks / Aardman’s Flushed Away to open in December.

As it stands, this film, from Sony’s animation department is pretty solid, but largely forgettable. It’s probably closest in style and tone to Dreamworks’ Over the Hedge, but a big problem I found was that generally all the funniest sequences have already been revealed in the trailer. And, most disappointingly, it takes forever to get to the much promised ‘revenge on hunters’ sequence, which, although satisfying, could have been longer.

I’m also a tad tired of the mismatched buddy approach that so many animated films seem to have adopted lately, so the interactions of Martin Lawrence’s pampered bear Boog, and ‘loser’ deer Elliot (Ashton Kutcher) are rather tired.

I can’t be entirely negative about the film though. The animation is of a very high standard (I loved Boog’s fur), and as already mentioned the revenge sequence is very well co-ordinated and gratifying. And I loved the animal supporting cast, that includes Billy Connolly as an aggressive warlord squirrel; Patrick Warburton as the arrogant ‘jock’ head of a deer herd; the most adorable little blue porcupine; a shell-shocked, denture wearing duck; 2 street-talking skunks; and assorted bunny cannon fodder.



So Open Season is watchable, but pretty average. I preferred Over the Hedge for its tight pacing and sharp commentary on consumerist society.

Anyway, with just Flushed Away and Happy Feet left to watch, I think the one category I will feel very comfortable to comment on in next year’s Oscar race will be Best Animated Feature Film ;)