The original Yogi Bear cartoon of t
he 1960s had Yogi and pal Boo Boo interacting with human campers. They were all animated, but technology has come a long way since then. In the film Yogi Bear, Yogi (voiced by Dan Aykroyd) and Boo Boo (voiced by Justin Timberlake) are created with special effects, and the rest of the cast are real people, but the story of the two picnic basket thieves was carefully rendered to maintain the irreverence and personalities of the two bears — a notion that set well with the two stars of the film.
“Every Wednesday afternoon after school, my joy was to sit and watch Yogi Bear,” says Aykroyd. “Of all the cartoon characters, he was the most accessible — the warmest and the happiest. He was also a bit of an outlaw, which I liked. His friendship with Boo Boo was perfect, not a trace of meanness in either of them, and I think that’s why kids of Justin [Timberlake’s] generation, and now, still embrace them.” Timberlake agrees, noting that he did his homework watching cartoons, including Yogi Bear.
The decision to use fully animated computer graphic characters interacting with a human cast in a live-action movie was, says director Eric Brevig, “[to present] a Yogi and Boo Boo who appear almost as physically real as the actors, with twinkling eyes and wet noses and all the warmth and subtleties, rather than as mere cartoon images.” To add to this, the bears were lit in scenes as the actors were, making them seem like fully dimensional beings.
The film was also shot entirely in 3D; using technology Brevig says had not been available a year before filming began. It allowed the filmmakers to use the New Zealand setting to its full potential with all the depth and full vistas of the countryside. This adds to the stakes of the film’s plot, a scheme by the local mayor to sell Jellystone Park to loggers. The good news is, of course, that this is a cartoon, and cartoons have happy endings.
“Yogi Bear” is now showing on Video On Demand. Check your cable system for availability.
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© 2011 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
