TWO BROTHERS

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Rated PG (for mild violence). 109 Minutes. Ok for kids ages 5 and up. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud (The Bear).

The “two brothers” in this film are Kumal and Sangha, adorable tiger cubs living an idyllic life with their parents in the jungles of French Indochina, circa 1920s. The happy cubs prowl through ancient temple ruins, swat playfully at rocks rolling past, and view their lush world in wide-eyed fascination.

But we know the bliss won’t last and, sure enough, things get ugly fast. An ivory-hunter-turned-tomb-raider shoots the cubs’ mother (fulfilling that unwritten rule that the mom always has to die in kids’ movies). One cub ends up as the pet of a spoiled prince, the other gets whipped and starved as a circus performer. Life eventually leads them back to each other – facing off in an amphitheater death-match. Being brothers, you can probably guess how things turn out.

WHAT I LIKED: The sepia-toned lighting is beautiful, as is the exotic scenery and photography of the tigers, whom you’d swear are real felines in the wild, rather than trained animals. They seem almost human in their emotions and motivations – probably not true-to-life, but makes for a good storyline.

I like that we’re not quite sure if the main character (Guy Pearce, the handsome, chisel-cheeked actor who did such a great job in Memento), is a villain or a hero. He appears one way at the beginning, but changes his tune as the movie progresses. The other characters, however, seem stereotypical and one-dimensional.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: I took both my kids, and there wasn’t enough zip for 9-year-old Will, who says, “I need more action in my movies, like in Teen Titans.” But 7-year-old Marissa and I – both animal lovers – liked the movie just fine. I will say, though, that the gentle pace of the film slowed to a crawl in the middle. If I’d been watching it on DVD at home, I probably would have fallen asleep after the first 20 minutes.

We’ve also gotten so used to movies with thrilling special effects (Harry Potter) and clever storytelling (Finding Nemo), it’s hard for other films to measure up. Still, this is a nice throwback to movies we used to watch every Sunday night on The Wonderful World of Disney (if you’re old enough, you might remember Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar – who ALSO lost his mother!) and a good antidote to screeching car chases, creepy monsters, and inane cartoon characters. (And by the way, Charlie is now available on DVD.)

THE WRAP-UP: You can’t go wrong taking the kids to see this, although it’s hard to say whether they’ll be fascinated or bored. It’s ideal for kids who love watching animals in the wild, but for the high-action crowd like Will? Taken ‘em anyway. It’ll be good for them to remember what real animals and a slower pace is like. The killing scenes are fairly mild and mostly done off-screen via a gun-shot, but the evil circus trainer might be disturbing to some youngsters.

SCORE: 2.5 out of 4 Reels.

Jane's Reel Rating System:

One Reel – Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it.

Two Reels – Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.

Three Reels – Pleasant. Something to talk about.

Four Reels – Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.

E-chat with me at jane@reellifewithjane.com - I LOVE to talk about movies! For more about me, check out my writer’s Web site, www.janeboursaw.com.

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