Yogi Bear

Originally published Mar 31, 2025

I first saw 2010’s Yogi Bear in theaters when I was a boy. Having not fully revisited this movie in almost 15 years, I can say the following with utmost confidence: 8-year-old me was incredibly stupid for wanting to see this.

When the corrupt mayor attempts to sell Jellystone Park for logging, Ranger Smith must find a way to raise the money needed to prevent his beloved park from closing. This task becomes much more difficult when Yogi’s bumbling antics are thrown into the mix. If you mentally checked out while reading that synopsis, I don’t blame you. However, it is with great sadness that I must admit somehow remembering almost every plot beat. I suppose Yogi Bear is simply my cross to BEAR…

The cast ranges from painfully unfunny to ironically entertaining. For as annoying as Yogi and Boo-Boo sound, I must give Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake due credit for getting their voices right. Tom Cavanagh is perhaps the funniest actor in the movie, but only because he looks absolutely dead inside with every scene he’s in. Unfortunately, he has no chemistry whatsoever with Anna Faris, who is also ironically entertaining with how unhinged she can be at times. As for Andy Daly and TJ Miller, I actively felt my brain going numb whenever they appeared. The effects likewise range from passable to dated. Aside from the occasional unintended hilarity, the movie’s biggest win is its mercifully short, 80-minute runtime.

Unless you are intentionally looking for a way to rot your brain, you will certainly be smarter than the average bear by skipping Yogi Bear.

Rating: 2/10