Open Season (2006)

48% of critics liked it
(100 reviews)
66% of users liked it
(441,040 ratings)

A domesticated grizzly bear finds that there's more to life than being the star attraction of a mountain town nature show when a fast-talking mule deer offers him a crash course in woodland living in Sony Pictures Animation's first full-length animated feature. Raised by kindly park ranger Beth… More A domesticated grizzly bear finds that there's more to life than being the star attraction of a mountain town nature show when a fast-talking mule deer offers him a crash course in woodland living in Sony Pictures Animation's first full-length animated feature. Raised by kindly park ranger Beth (Debra Messing) since he was a just a cub, 900-pound grizzly Boog (Martin Lawrence) is content to spend his days entertaining Timberline tourists and his nights nestled safely in Beth's luxurious garage. Boog's life is about to get much more complicated, however, when paranoid hunter Shaw (Gary Sinese) returns from a recent foray in the woods with a frightened, one-horn mule deer named Elliot strapped trophy-like to the hood of his truck. Though at first reluctant to answer Elliot's desperate cries for help, gentle giant Boog eventually frees the thankful creature, who in turn decides to teach his hulking friend what it truly means to be free. Subsequently tranquilized and relocated into the wilderness after momentarily reverting to his true animalistic nature, Boog is forced to team with seasoned forest-dweller Elliot in order to find their way out of the woods before hunting season starts and Shaw comes gunning for all creatures great and small. Things are different in the woods than they were back in the safe confines of park ranger Beth's garage, though, and in order to find their way back to Timberline, Boog and Elliot are going to have to rely on the kindness of their fellow creatures, a rowdy and unruly bunch that includes an army of Scottish squirrels led by rogue critter McSquizzy (Billy Connolly), and a productive beaver construction team whose foreman, Reilly (Jon Faverau), is more than willing to lend a helping tail. With hunting season now upon them and time running out as the hunters close in, the unlikely duo of bear and mule deer put their new life lessons to good use by turning the tables on the gun-toting gamesmen, and once again making the woods safe for the furry critters who call the forest home. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 26 min.
Directed By: Roger Allers, Jill Culton
Written By: Steve Bencich, Ron J. Friedman
Genres: Action & Adventure, Animation, Kids & Family, Comedy

In Theaters: Sep 29, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Jan 30, 2007
Studio: Sony Pictures

Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
It's just okay.
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
Now that we've made one of the best computer-generated talking-animal-on-an-odyssey movies in the brief but busy history of the genre, can we please, please move on?
Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News
A little bit like Over the Hedge, and a lot like the upcoming Flushed Away, in which an animated house mouse is forced to fend for himself in the sewers of London, Open Season may sound a bit familiar, but it is never dull.
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle
With animated movies coming out every other week or so, mediocrity is becoming a rule. Open Season loses more points than most films because of its similarities to Over the Hedge, one of the few kids films that did it right this year.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
It's not deep and not totally original. But Open Season is whiplash quick with the gags and spot-on with the funny voices.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
An ugly, painfully derivative and sleep-inducing talking-animals cartoon laced with potty humor.
Jane Boursaw, Common Sense Media
Animated animal buddy flick is crude but funny.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Animated children's movies should not glamorize criminal activity and war, but that's exactly what happens in "Open Season"...
James Plath, Reel.com
Despite inconsistencies in audience and humor, there's enough to like about Open Season.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
An energy-filled but flawed debut . . . that my kids just happened to love.
Frank Lovece, Film Journal International
[A] beautifully animated and funny, if formulaic, odd-couple comedy.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
The animation is pleasing and Billy Connolly gives a hilarious turn as a loud-mouthed, bossy squirrel, who has never heard the notion that size intimidates
James O'Ehley, SA Movie & DVD Magazine
Decidedly average . . .
Joseph Proimakis, Movies for the Masses
full review in Greek
Matthew Leyland, BBC
In the end, the hunter becomes the hunted; but wouldn't the animal rights message mean more if you actually cared about the critters?
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Lawrence proves much less irritating as an animated bear than he does in his real-life performances.
Philip French, Guardian [UK]
There's virtuosity here but no magic.
, Time Out
I have to say that the humour here (some of it Pythonesque) is mostly spot on and, at times, mischievously dark.

Read all 18 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

John M

Decent family fare. Had some good moments but not my favorite.
Michael M

It's good if your bored. Open Season is funny at times but ultimately its far far too silly with a poor amount of witty humour apart from the teddy bear picnic song joke.
Alexander D

OPEN SEASON was funny at some parts, but seeing (or hearing, rather) Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher elicit laughs in a family feature seemed very slightly uneven to me.
Matt G

Fine animation, fine voices. I didn't mind!
Brad W

Funny but too much toilet humor for kids. If it was more mature and the jokes were better, this would've been great.
Michael E

a very funny, well animated, well acted, and well thought out film that will appeal to all ages of viewers
Bently L

Ashton Kutcher's character did make the film a little funny but not entirely. Open Season has unimpressive animation and a weak story. This is not memorable and it is forgettable.
Richard C

B-
Kyle F

Clever as heck, with great animation and direction, open season should be a standard for animated films.
Leigh R

I liked it. This made me giggle...
Phil H

This is good for one reason only, the look and style. There seems to be a Tex Avery thing going on in there, based on those classic Warner cartoons with Wil E Coyote, Bugs, Daffy etc...it looks lovely and very different from other efforts. Thats it though, the characters are annoying,… More
This is good for one reason only, the look and style. There seems to be a Tex Avery thing going on in there, based on those classic Warner cartoons with Wil E Coyote, Bugs, Daffy etc...it looks lovely and very different from other efforts. Thats it though, the characters are annoying, especially the squirrels and the voice cast are poor, could have been so much better.
Michael G

I wish it was Open Season on whoever made this pile of crap. Honestly the mere sound of Ashton Kutcher's voice sends me into a blind, berserker rage so my opinion may be a tad skewed here. I started Open Season truly hating it. The characters were annoying, the cast was awful and… More
I wish it was Open Season on whoever made this pile of crap. Honestly the mere sound of Ashton Kutcher's voice sends me into a blind, berserker rage so my opinion may be a tad skewed here. I started Open Season truly hating it. The characters were annoying, the cast was awful and Gary Sinise was playing Ted Nugent. (Nice jab at that waste of life, by the way...) The Paul Westerberg soundtrack (I know the man has children so I'm not going to begrudge the man's reasons for making the music for the movie as they're probably the same reasons I watched it) and a few legitimately funny parts thawed me out eventually. Open Season isn't particularly good but you can always say its better than Twilight.
danny d

this was a decent flick. i dont care for ashton kutcher and martin lawrence is hit and miss, but they were both good as the main voices. it had a good story and a few funny moments, my son thought it was funny. better than i thought it would be and definitely worth watching if you… More
this was a decent flick. i dont care for ashton kutcher and martin lawrence is hit and miss, but they were both good as the main voices. it had a good story and a few funny moments, my son thought it was funny. better than i thought it would be and definitely worth watching if you have nothing better to do.
Jason O

I was thrilled at the idea of seeing this movie soon as I saw the previews. I love the lifelike animated movies, but this one wasn't one of my favorites....Over The Hedge is much better.
Jens S

Although the trailer implied a much more subversive humor than the film actually has to offer after all it is clearly a movie for kids and does not have much to offer for adult viewers. The story is rather simple, the main characters and their love-hate-friendship have been seen many… More
Although the trailer implied a much more subversive humor than the film actually has to offer after all it is clearly a movie for kids and does not have much to offer for adult viewers. The story is rather simple, the main characters and their love-hate-friendship have been seen many times before, only the quirky minor (animal) characters add a little variation and brought a couple of smiles to my face. I can't really say I laughed out loud a lot, though. That being said, the movie is probably a riot for smaller kids, especially the final "battle" of animals vs hunters has a lot to offer for the intended audience (and at least a few "Braveheart" references for the older viewers). But being at least somewhat of a grown up, I felt I had seen all this before and better.
Film C

i love this animated family fun movie this is funny and has a point to the storyline ma animated movies theres no reall point to them and this does and doesnt disappoint and is a genuin good funny movie really worth a watch!!
Chris G

Open Season a couple of laugh out loud parts, but otherwise this is your typical animated film with a message about hunting. Once again my standard answer is kids will like it.
Ginny

Okay, you caught me, I watch kiddie movies every now and then. >;P' Hahaha! That porcupine was just too cute!! and those bunnies! Are just so weird man! lol!!
Alexander W

Get over the fact that its more hip hop piled in to a film (only the voices though) and the rest is very funny. Would be nice if they released the film in two different voice over variations . I just wish they did.
Red L

Pretty good for a cartoon. I actually laughed out loud at some of the jokes, something I don't usually do.