Open Season (film)

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For other uses, see Open Season (disambiguation).
Open Season

Open Season promotional poster
Directed by Roger Allers
Jill Culton
Anthony Stacchi
Written by Steve Bencich
Ron J. Friedman
Starring Martin Lawrence
Ashton Kutcher
Matthew W Taylor
Jon Favreau
Gary Sinise
Debra Messing
Jane Krakowski
Billy Connolly
Georgia Engel
Patrick Warburton
Music by Ramin Djawadi (score)
Paul Westerberg (songs)
Distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment
Release date(s) September 29, 2006 (US, CN)
October 4, 2006 (NL)
October 5, 2006 (IL)
October 6, 2006 (BR, VE)
October 13, 2006 (UK, PL, MX)
Running time 99 min.
Language English
IMDb profile

Open Season is a computer-animated film produced by Sony Pictures Animation and directed by Roger Allers, Jill Culton and Anthony Stacchi. It was released on September 29, 2006 by Columbia Pictures. It features a role reversal, with woodland creatures that are traditionally hunted teaming up against hunters, much like the classic Warner Bros. shorts. It has also been released in the IMAX 3D format. A video game for the film was released in the Fall of 2006 for various platforms.

Contents

[edit] Summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

A grizzly bear named Boog (voiced by Martin Lawrence), domesticated by park ranger Beth (voiced by Debra Messing), helps the deer Elliot (voiced by Ashton Kutcher) to escape from the mullet-sporting hunter, Shaw (voiced by Gary Sinise). After the animals are drawn together into the forest they become lost just as hunting season begins, made worse by the fact that Boog doesn't know how to survive in the wild.

[edit] Cast

Actor Animal Character
Martin Lawrence Male Bear Boog
Ashton Kutcher Male Deer Elliot
Matthew W Taylor Male Porcupine Buddy
Jon Favreau Male Beaver Reilly
Debra Messing Female Human Park Ranger Beth
Jane Krakowski Female Deer Giselle
Gary Sinise Male Human Shaw
Patrick Warburton Buck Ian
Billy Connolly Male Squirrel McSquizzy
Georgia Engel Female Human Bobbie
Cody Cameron Male Dachshund Mr. Weenie
Gordon Tootosisis Male Human Gordy
Nika Futterman Female Skunk Maria the Skunk
Danny Mann Male Duck Psycho Duck: Serge
Michelle Murdacoo Female Skunk Rosie the Skunk
Fergan Riely Female Beaver O'Toole
Frank Welker Rabbits & Beavers Rabbits & Additional Beavers
Paul Westerberg Unknown Unknown
  • There was a man named Bob who is the husband of Bobbie and owner of Mr. Weenie. He never speaks in the film.

[edit] Critical reception

Open Season received mixed reviews from critics. All commended the film's eye-popping animation but some slated its use of crude humour, celebrity voiceovers and similarities to other CG films such as Shrek and Madagascar (both Boog and Eliott are similar to Donkey and Shrek, Boog is a domesticated animal venturing out into the wild). One of the directors, Jill Cutton, denies this connection, stating that Boog and Eliott are both sidekicks rather than one of them being a hero with a sidekick tagging along (as happened in Shrek). Some critics did, however, think that it was well suited for its younger audience as well as keep adults from being bored.

Audiences enjoyed Open Season more than critics for its snappy comic timing and good intentions, but many noticed the instances of deja vu in the storyline.

[edit] Box Office performance

The film opened to a surprise US$ 23 million in its first week, in over 3,833 theaters. In its second week, it made US$ 16 million. To date, November 5, 2006, it has made US$ 81 million. So far, it has exceeded expectations.

[edit] Soundtrack

The soundtrack includes original music scored by Ramin Djawadi with help by and original songs written by Paul Westerberg. You may listen to the songs here.

Number Song Artist Film or Credits
1 "Meet Me In The Meadow" Paul Westerberg Credits
2 "Love You In The Fall" Paul Westerberg Credits
3 "I Belong" Paul Westerberg Film
4 "I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)" Deathray Film
5 "Better Than This" Paul Westerberg Film
6 "Wild Wild Life" Talking Heads Film
7 "Right to Arm Bears" Paul Westerberg Film
8 "Good Day" Paul Westerberg Film
9 "All About Me" Paul Westerberg Film
10 "Wild As I Wanna Be" Deathray Credits
11 "Whisper Me Luck" Paul Westerberg Film
12 "I Belong" (Reprise) Pete Yorn Film
iTunes Exclusive "Wild As I Wanna Be" Paul Westerberg (Not in The Film Or Credits)
Spanish Version Exclusive "Mi Hogar" Sergio Rivero

[edit] RingTales

The Open Season website contains 2D cartoon shorts called RingTales. Here is a list of all RingTales shorts:

  • How to drink out of a stream
  • McSquizzy's remote
  • Hide in plain sight
  • Dynamite
  • Camouflage
  • Security camera
  • Duck call
  • Quack
  • Rabbit Ball
  • Pull my antler
  • Whites of their eyes
  • This old dam
  • Pepper spray
  • Hacksaw
  • Hunting no hunting
  • You had to be there
  • Poor reception
  • Danger signs
  • Shoot me
  • The cliff

[edit] Vehicles

57 Chevy Pickup on left, Toyota Land Cruiser on right
Enlarge
57 Chevy Pickup on left, Toyota Land Cruiser on right

[edit] Animals featured

[edit] Living animals

[edit] Dead Specimens

[edit] Inaccuracies

  • Porcupines can't shoot their quills.
  • Beth was concerned about letting Boog free just before open season, but in both Canada and United States hunting grizzly bears is illegal.

[edit] Ratings

  • Singapore: The movie was given a Parental Guidance rating from The Media Development Authority.

[edit] DVD and Blu-Ray

This movie will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on January 30, 2007. It will include deleted scenes, Audio Commentary, I Wanna Lose Control music video, Swept Away documentary and much, much more. More infromation (including cover art) can be fround at this link.

[edit] Trivia

  • Smokey the Bear was a real-life bear cub that was rescued by a ranger. Though not put on a live show, he became a major advertising symbol.
  • This is one of two movies Ashton Kutcher will be starring in being released on September 29, 2006, the other being the action drama The Guardian.
  • The music featured in the trailer is "Boom Boom Boom" by the Outhere Brothers.
  • The music featured at the beginning of the trailer is "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash.
  • The characters featured in the trailer are: Shaw, McSquizzy, Elliot (feet only), Porcupine, Rosie and Maria, Ian, Ducks, Riely, Ian, Rabbits and (quickly) Giselle. Boog and Elliot are also shown at the end of the teaser.
  • Ashton Kutcher was revealed to play a quick part as the Japanese speaking salmon in the October issue of Nickelodeon magazine.
  • This is Sony's third Imax 3D film.
  • It was revealed on an online behind-the-scenes clip that 1/3 of the lines were improvised by Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher.
  • Several RingTales can be seen of the official website in the Trailers and Pictures section.
  • A jackalope can be seen in the basement of Shaw's house as he sings "Teddy Bear's Picnic".
  • Shaw's fate is revealed early on during the credits: he is mistaken to be Bigfoot by Bob and Bobbie, and is struck by their van. He wakes to find himself tied to their hood.
  • A reference to Braveheart is made right after the battle against the hunters. On Mr. Weenie, McSquizzy shouts "FREEDOM!".
  • Both Martin Lawrence and Ashton Kutcher starred on successful sitcoms on the Fox network: Lawrence was on Martin, Kutcher was on That '70s Show.
  • When Boog and Elliot are in the store, Kid Cuisine can be seen in the freezer.
  • The "woo-hoo" candy bars resemble Butterfingers.
  • One of the characters uses a Sony Ericsson cell phone.
  • Grey squirrels are indigenous to North America, so the Scottish accent portrayed by all of the squirrels is an anomaly.

[edit] External links


Sony Pictures Imageworks
Sony Pictures Animation feature films: Open Season (2006) • Surf's Up (2007) • Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2008) • Another Open Season (20??) 
Sony Pictures Imageworks shorts: The ChubbChubbs! (2002) • Early Bloomer (2002) • Elliots Wonderful Woo-Hoo Adventure (2006/2007)
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