Boonie Bears: Guardian Code
Cast (voices): Patrick Freeman, Joseph S Lambert, Paul Rhinehart, Kally Khourshid, Chris Boike, Olivia Seaton-Hill
Directors: Yongchang Lin, Heqi Shao
Rating: 2.5/5
Duration: 96 minutes
The first “Boonie Bears” film from the universally beloved global animation franchise to release in India, and the 11th overall, Guardian Code is about an Android-based mother of two bears, whose corrupted memory, when rectified, shows her as a deeply loving mother to her two bear children. The dominant theme here is appropriate for ‘Mother’s Day‘ celebrations for those who think going to the movies is appropriate for the occasion.
The story begins with two bears Briar (Patrick Freeman) and Bramble (Joseph S Lambert) who are left behind when their mother goes to investigate what appears to be a fire and does not return. From then on, it becomes too complicated for the young minds it is aimed at. With themes of environmental friendliness and surrogate love at its center, the narrative falls flat long before it can make sense of what it wants to say.
Abandoned orphans who miss the idyllic life in the Pine Tree Mountain forest they shared under the care of their loving lullaby-singing mother Barbara (Kally Khourshid) never give up hope of seeing her again. But only when they have grown considerably do they have the opportunity to encounter a bear that looks a lot like their mother.
The narrative, long and mysterious, is full of underdeveloped characters and themes. The plot highlights how technology can replace humans, even a mother, with an android mother pre-programmed to be loving and caring. Basically, the story is based on the assumption that AI can replace humans. Characters like Charlotte (Olivia Seaton-Hill), who possesses a necklace that belonged to the orphaned bear cubs’ mother, and the bear cubs’ lumberjack friend, Vick (Paul Rhinehart), have little to do here. Then there’s the villain, leader of the rebel gang, the maniacal Leonard, and Dr. Roland (Chris Boike), a famous roboticist who is in awe of Charlotte’s equally famous, deceased mother, Dr. Sue (Nicola Vincent).
The plot isn’t exactly kid-friendly and the treatment, save for a round of mechanical pie tossing by a robot, is nothing to laugh at. He animation Although complete, it has a distinctively Chinese look and is pleasing to the eye. The flashback in the middle of the narrative destroys coherence. From then on everything seems a little strange. The pace is quite frenetic and the narrative becomes relentlessly inventive, but it’s certainly not suitable for young children whose attention spans are suspect. The film is enjoyable if one can overlook all the flaws in the narrative and focus only on the character dynamics, which are exciting to watch.