Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-Lot

As a parent forced to endure a fair amount of kids entertainment, it is always a relief to find something that is at least tolerable to an adult. When my son became infatuated with the Care Bears, I had sit through the painful Care Bears Movie (1985) a number of times, and then through some excruciating videos of episodes from the mid-80s TV show.

But then we got the DVD of Journey to Joke-a-lot, and the opening song by Jane Siberry immediately caught my attention. Then the story turned out to be engaging, and not too cloying, with enjoyable songs. And there's even a parody of scenes from 2001: A Space Odyssey! So I can say it greatly exceeded my expectations and I can recommend it as something at least passably entertaining to adults as well as children.

I absolutely loved the care bears from the 80's but can't stand these new ones. I hate everything about them. Why can't people leave well enough alone? Hollywood has reached rock bottom so they're remaking everything now but only worse. I'm tires of seeing the classics get ruined. The only comeback that should have been made is the old ones released on DVD. A few people that things are going to change but there's no reason to think so. The Big Wish movie was just as bad. And I'm sure that the new movie coming to the theater will be just as bad. Sorry I've been a bit long winded but I had to draw things out to meet the 10 line minimum for a review.

This movie? This movie?? "Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-Lot" is a cinematic tour de force powered entirely by rainbow giggles, glittery nonsense, and the kind of nostalgia that hits harder than a Care Bear Stare to the face. Is the animation a little wonky? Is the plot completely bananas? YES. AND I WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING.

Watching this felt like being dunked in a cotton candy milkshake of childhood joy and left to float in a pool of pure whimsy. I laughed, I cried, I questioned my reality-but in the best possible way. The songs? Bops. The jokes? HILARIOUS (if you're 7 or just easily amused like me). The vibes? Immaculate.

To anyone who says this movie isn't good: I regret to inform you that you just hate fun. And whimsy. And probably sunshine and unicorn stickers too. Let the bears have their joke kingdom! Let me cry-laugh through the absurdity! LET US ALL EMBRACE THE CHAOS OF JOKE-A-LOT!

Long live Funshine Bear. 10/10. Would journey again.

Fine enough for very VERY young children, but these are not the lovable little bears we knew and loved. The storytelling was OK with enjoyable songs and the animation was colorful but the jerky movement of the characters could be quite creepy and grotesque.

But the biggest problem was the bears! Instead of having voices full of endearing charm and warmth, they sounded like 6-year olds with Down's Syndrome high on helium. Funshine Bear isn't even likable. He's more of a big bully than a Care Bear. What he did to poor Grumpy Bear in the beginning was cruel and he never seemed to be sorry.

Your'e much better off showing your kids the vintage sweet simple Care Bear films. They aren't painful to watch and actually have good morals.

BOTTOM LINE: You could care less about this bland charmless bastardization

2004 is for everyone's excited-ness for Disney/PIXAR's The Incredibles (2004), in which "Journey to Joke-a-Lot" is released a month prior. Anyway, like those music numbers is so very catchy, and one emotionally moving, that everyone will dance into it.

If you love the Care Bears from the 80's, they, Nelvana, brought it back in CGI and for direct-to-video premiere, presented by Lions Gate Family Entertainment, for the forecoming Holiday season. Every story in the franchise, like this, is unique, even humor is in Joke-a-Lot, the land's formula.