“Bears” works as not only a beautifully shot documentary, but also a gripping tale of survival amongst the breathtaking scenery of Alaska. The narration can be distracting at times, but “Bears” still manages to deliver a well made film experience.

“Bears” follows one year in the life of two newly born cubs, Amber and Scout, and their mother Sky as they trek across Alaska with the intention of finding Salmon to eat and to prepare for the next hibernation season. Throughout the film, a cast of other animals are introduced that help to facilitate the film’s narrative while presenting a wider scope of life in the Alaskan wilderness.

Much like Disney Nature’s previous films, like “African Cats” or “Chimpanzee”, “Bears” is all about the cinematography and it does not disappoint. The camera crew working on the film got amazingly close to the action present in a bear community, and seeing one of the multiple bear fights presented in the film really gives perspective to the danger endured to get the films best shots. I was especially impressed by the Avalanche scene. I’ve seen avalanches on film before, but the sheer scope represented in the Avalanche seen in bears was impressive.

I like John C. Reilly, and I think he did well as a narrator, but I would not have been bothered if there were less jokes and more depth to the lives of bears and how they work. I appreciated the fact that Reilly’s narration added the films narrative and allowed the film to have some villains, but a slightly larger focus on the science of bears would really improve the film.

The film is relatively short, only 77 minutes, but the less than ample running time allows the film to progress with a satisfying pace while not overextending the content. There are a lot of unused shots played during the end credits, leading me to believe the film could have been much longer, but the film works well as an almost bite-sized documentary experience.

I really enjoyed “Bears.” It was beautifully shot, had an interesting story, and showed a more nuanced side of how Bears act in the wild. It was a great film and well worth the hour or so it takes to watch.

4/5