'Bears'

Disney has been producing some amazing work through its independent film label, Disneynature. Since 2008, Disneynature has been adding an artistic flair to the way we view our planet through documentaries such as “Earth,” “Oceans” and “Chimpanzee.”

Disneynature’s newest installment, “Bears,” follows Sky, an Alaskan brown bear who has just become a mother to two cubs, Scout and Amber. The audience tags along as the family leaves the safety of hibernation to face a year of tough survival in the Alaskan wilderness.

John C. Reilly provides the narration for “Bears.” It’s easy to blow off Reilly in the face of his infamous roles in so-stupid-they’re-funny comedies like “Step Brothers” and “Talladega Nights.” But Reilly has also proven himself a true artist in films such as “Criminal” and his Oscar-nominated film “Chicago.”

Reilly brings a balance of humor and sophistication as he speaks about the bears, to the bears and sometimes as the bears.

In a film with main characters who have two facial expressions — mouth open and mouth close — and the dialogue consists of grunts and angry growls, music is essential. George Fenton provides a number of orchestrated pieces to adjust the mood in each scene. He uses a range of instruments to portray different moods — saxophones when the bears are feeling romantic, slow banjo riffs when the bears are lazing around a field, loud drums and quick string instrument progressions when the bears are fighting.

From a production standpoint, the film is a gold mine. The cinematography is nothing short of brilliant. “Bears” is full of beautiful wide and long shots glorifying Alaskan landscapes. There are equally amazing closeups of the bears as they eat, play and fight.

The clarity and intimacy of the shots are so astounding they’re almost distracting. I found myself wondering how the cameramen were getting their shots rather than caring about what the bears were doing.

My answer came during the ending credits of the documentary, which had shots of the camera crew filming. There were times when they were literally just feet from these 600-pound animals, which added extra elements of danger and inspiration to the film overall.

What should be further admired is the editing. The documentary took place during the course of a year, from the time the bears wake from hibernation to the time they begin their trek into the mountains to sleep again. All that time is condensed into 77 minutes.

If you’re not a fan of documentaries, “Bears” isn’t for you. The storyline is somewhat compelling, but its association with Disney kills any worries that everything won’t work out OK. And no matter how adorable the bears are, they aren’t exactly interesting characters.

After 30 minutes there’s nothing to hold your attention. You’ll leave with a head of useless bear facts and an urge to pet something fuzzy.