"Open Season 2" (2008) (Open Season 2 (DVD))

Member Name: jbsabbath

Product:	Open Season 2 (DVD)
Date:	24/06/09 (20 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some good laughs, enjoyable ensemble-character storyline rather than buddy movie

Disadvantages: Animation is poor in places, especially the characters, in comparison to similar movies

"Open Season 2" is the sequel to Sony Pictures Animation's 2006 furry foray, in which grizzly bear Boog (voiced by Martin Lawrence) had to come to terms with being returned to the wild and hence surviving alongside accident-prone Elliot, the one-antlered stag (voiced by Ashton Kutcher).

In this direct-to-DVD sequel, the story picks up from where we left off, with Elliot (now voiced by Joel McHale) getting ready to marry gorgeous doe Giselle (voiced by Jane Krakowski), only he's getting cold feet.

When he spots Mr. Weenie the Daschund, voiced by Cody Cameron, being 'kidnapped' by his old owners, this is a perfect chance to escape the wedding and go on the rescue.

With Giselle tagging along, Elliot, Boog (now voiced by Mike Epps) and highland-squirrel McSquizzy (Billy Connolly) lead a mission to bring their friend back to the wild and out of the evil clutches of the doting dog-owner.

But under the leadership of the evil Bichon Frise Fifi (Crispin Glover), the pets have other ideas - hating all that is wild and feral, they refuse to let Mr. Weenie go without a fight!

One of the best things about the original "Open Season" was in the animation department, which was essentially pristine, combined with some excellent choices of direction that lifted what could have been something tired and mediocre into something fun and enjoyable.

Due to "Open Season 2" being a direct-to-DVD release, the animation isn't nearly as good as its predecessor, and in some scenes it really suffers as parts look cheap (especially some of the new dog-characters), but thankfully this isn't a problem throughout the whole movie.

It is the comedy elements that save this sequel as there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, even if the film does get off to a shaky start.

This was perhaps because I was trying to discern the differences in the new voice talent that have taken over the two central characters.

This perhaps could have made a big impact on the film, but truth be told it doesn't affect the film at all - the changes in cast has not dampened the overall effect of the movie, especially if watched months after seeing the previous entry.

In effect, Epps & Hale are just as good Lawrence & Kutcher, and you probably wouldn't have noticed the change anyway.

A great new addition to the fold comes in the form of the evil Fifi, voiced by the magnificent Crispin Glover, who really gives it his all in creating a heartless character who's terrified of everything from the wild.

Even without his manic stare, Glover can still create nasty villains with just his voice, and even as a toy dog he can come across as particularly fearsome!

Drumming up the social stereotypes for a second time are German Daschund Mr. Weenie, voiced by Cody Cameron, and Scottish McSquizzy, voiced by Billy Connolly.

Both of these get bigger roles than last time and both take the time and effort to poke fun at silly accents, but they do make for enjoyable characters - especially Weenie, who along with his owners are hilarious!

Another nice addition comes in the form of Roberto the Bassett Hound, voiced by Steve Schirripa, who looks and sounds just right for the part.

Plot-wise, "Open Season 2" has moved away from the heavily overused buddy film narrative of the previous entry and uses its ensemble cast to full effect, creating a very enjoyable film for the short duration of 76 minutes.

While the film does not take much time to reintroduce us to the characters, and the animation this time around isn't of the best quality, there are laughs to be had and it is a fun film for what it is.

[The DVD can be purchased from play.com for £6.99 (at time of writing), including postage & packing]

Summary: A solid direct-to-DVD sequel to the original "Open Season", which wasn't half bad itself