The Country Bears
Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: July 26, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
37
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
10
Negative:
7
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
70
New Times (L.A.)Luke Y. Thompson
This film is just too damn weird to pass up, and for the blacklight crowd, way cheaper (and better) than Pink Floyd tickets.
70
Chicago ReaderBill Stamets
Clever, warmhearted film. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldHoward Cohen
If the other theme-park movies are as appealing, go ahead, bring 'em on. Read full review
63
New York PostLou Lumenick
Two stars for adults -- 3 stars for kids. The under-5 set should take to The Country Bears like bears to honey - even if anyone much older will find this broad-as-a-barn-door Disney musical bear-ly tolerable. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesGene Seymour
After a while, the only way for a reasonably intelligent person to get through The Country Bears is to ponder how a whole segment of pop-music history has been allowed to get wet, fuzzy and sticky. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
It's sort of an ursine ''The Last Waltz,'' with more costumes and no direction from Martin Scorsese. Read full review
50
VarietyJoe Leydon
Toddlers and pre-teens will be entertained, and parents will be pleasantly surprised, by this more-than-just-bearable musical road movie. Read full review
50
Washington PostDesson Thomson
If you're looking to take your children to something harmless, that doesn't embarrass anyone, this light comedy (a gentle parody of those "Behind the Music" specials on cable TV) is your next outing. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
It's hard to figure who the movie is intended for. In shape and purpose, it's like a G-rated version of "This Is Spinal Tap," but will its wee target audience understand the joke? Read full review
50
Film ThreatMichael Dequina
It makes no sense, but then again neither does much of anything in The Country Bears. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Most of the resulting film is downright bizarre. Which, as it turns out, is not entirely to its disadvantage. Read full review
50
The New York TimesDana Stevens
Sandwiched between the musical numbers are an eclectic assorment of cameos, including Willie Nelson, Queen Latifa and Elton John. The funniest one comes during the closing credits, when the rapper Xzibit testifies that the Country Bears were a formative influence on hip-hop, certainly something the Eagles could never claim. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Unfortunately, the humans only have scripts to support them. So for every bear triumph, Country Bears also features cliched jokes, corny sentiment, ludicrous shtick and the most flabbergasting set of star cameos since Martha Stewart and Michael Jackson wandered into "Men in Black II." Read full review
40
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
It has the courage to feature some refreshingly lousy bear costumes, but the film seems likely to send most kids tugging at sleeves for the cinematic equivalent of Space Mountain. Read full review
38
Boston GlobeReilly Capps
The music and the stars aren't enough to save the movie. Read full review
30
L.A. WeeklyDaniel Fienberg
Kids will probably enjoy the sight of huge, bumbling teddy bears -- Parents will exit wondering why this piece of unnecessary cross-promotion wasn't released straight to video. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleC.W. Nevius
Nearly unbearable. Read full review
20
TV Guide MagazineSteve Simels
An unintentionally surreal kid's picture. Read full review
20
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
If you're looking for some good family interspecies entertainment, take the little ones to see "Stuart Little 2" again; in the meantime, you might want to crawl into your cave and sleep through this one. Read full review
10
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
The unaddressed incongruities are as stupefying as the music. Read full review
0
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
This is either one of the best “head” films of all time or one of the worst examples of Disneyfied opportunism to come down the pike in years. I'd like to think it was the former, really I would, but somehow I suspect otherwise. Read full review
More From This Movie

37 Critic Reviews

4.7 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 71 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL