This magical animated movie takes the viewer high atop Crystal Peeks Mountain, where it’s said that the Spirit of Winter lives. A young cub named Bramble likes to listen to the fascinating bedtime story of the Spirit of Winter. He lives along with his brother Briar and one of their favorite things to do is to slide down the wintery snow on cut trees.
Life is not all peaceful and fun, however. A logger named Vick works at cutting down many of the trees and not all the forest creatures are happy about it. The cubs believe the loggers are buddies but not all of the characters share that opinion. Many don’t like losing their precious trees. There are several misunderstandings, including the fact that Vick thinks the cubs are beavers, and not bears. But there are fun moments too, such as when Bramble builds a snowman and Briar destroys it, and the two cubs chase each other and laugh. Speaking of laughter, in another scene some men are sitting around chatting and when talking bears are mentioned they roar with laughter. The cubs mother uses her gift of speech to share a rumor with Bramble and Briar. Their mother adds to the legend of the mountain, telling her cubs the story of the Spirit of Winter, and claims the spirit is a protector.
The cubs share ups and downs and in one scene Bramble is hurt and cries, and Briar proclaims that bears are tough! He wants to see his brother toughen up. The brothers have distinct personalities, with Bramble being more of a dreamer and he has a great and funny laugh. But there are some scenes of anxiety for the cubs, such as when Bramble almost falls over a cliff. And in another scene a cruel man steps on toys, destroying them, which results in 3 kids crying.
As in all relationships, there are ups and downs even between the cubs. Briar tells Bramble he hasn’t grown up, isn’t mature, and hurts his feelings. There is some tension between the two but it is short lived, as they know how to pull together when they have to. And when nature pulls a fast one on the area, one logger claims they’ve cut down too many trees and have been greedy. He believes they are reaping what they have sown.
A giant snow bear with antlers shows up with the name Neva. Bramble is at first frightened of this menacing-appearing creature, but he befriends Neva. Could Neva be the legendary Spirit of Winter? There is a lot for the various characters to contend with, including several raging fires. The beautiful thing about this movie, aside from its terrific animation, includes the various themes, such as not being greedy, forgiveness, and the importance of remembering how to have fun like a kid, even when you’re not one any longer. It also nicely shows the need to make new friends. The characters are memorable, such as the monkey driver and the grumpy Vick. And, of course, Bramble and Briar are always entertaining. The music is also appropriate, ranging from subtle themes to energetic and peppy orchestrations to match the high energy moments.
The movie contains some mishaps and characters whamming into a few objects and some moments of physical humor, but it is all in good fun. Therefore, the movie has merited our Dove seal for All Ages.
The Dove Take:
The scenes race by with a frenzy of frosty fun and will delight the young viewers, not to mention the young at heart.
