Movies - Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation

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	Movies - Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation

Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation is an animated film produced by Canadian animation studio Nelvana Limited. It was released in the United States in March 1986 by Columbia Pictures, and was the second film based on the Care Bears toy line. It was directed by Dale Schott, written by Peter Sauder, and produced by Nelvana's three founders (Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith). It starred the voices of Alyson Court, Cree Summer and Maxine Miller.

The film was commercially marketed as a sequel to The Care Bears Movie
, and did not serve as a prequel to this predecessor as many have come to believe, but to the Nelvana television series that would soon air on the ABC network the following September. It recounts the origins of the Care Bear Family, and tells of the Care Bears' first Caring Mission.

Synopsis

True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse must save the Kingdom of Caring from the evil doings of a demon villain named Dark Heart. This shape-shifter gives a desperate girl named Christy the chance to be champ of her summer camp. While this alliance forms between Christy and Dark Heart, the Care Bear tries to save her friends, Dawn and John, from Dark Heart. During the Bears' first Caring Mission, they and the campers put an end to his wicked deeds.

The Great Wishing Star (voiced by Chris Wiggins) narrates most of the movie. When the story starts, he gives True Heart and Noble Heart their tummy symbols, and also the responsibility to care for everyone on Earth.

Box office and home video

On its initial release, A New Generation earned $8.5 million in the United States—almost a third of its predecessor's ticket sales. After a March 7th limited-release debut, it opened in wide release two weeks later, coming in at seventh place with $2.5 million. Over the next two weekends it earned little more than $1 million in 12th place, before disappearing unexpectedly from the box-office charts.

The movie was released on home video by RCA/Columbia Pictures in 1987. It was rereleased as part of the Columbia Tristar Family Collection on June 28, 1993, and again on August 13, 1996. It premiered on DVD on April 8, 2003.

Awards and nominations

A New Generation's only nomination was for Worst Movie of 1986 by the Hastings Bad Cinema Society. Along with Band of the Hand
, Shanghai Surprise
and Under the Cherry Moon
, it lost to George Lucas' box-office bomb Howard the Duck
.

Continuity problems and mistakes

In this movie, the orphan Bears receive their tummy symbols and, going into their first Caring Mission, remain with them as they are fully grown. Contrary to what happened in the previous installment, the Cousin Cubs receive their tummy symbols along with the Bears. (Even Baby Proud Heart Cat's symbol can be seen, at the start of the film, while Loyal Heart Dog bothers her a little; she has yet to receive it as the "Flying My Colours" number starts.) The grown-up Cousins, in the first movie, receive their symbols after Tenderheart Bear introduces them into the Care Bear Family.

Often regarded as a mistake, during the musical montage "Growing Up", the Care Bear Family grows up at a rate that is extremely unusual for mammals. However, the Wishing Star alludes to the fact that the Cubs were moved to locations where they would grow within a "twinkling of the eye", implying that the rate of growth is influenced by the magic of the lands.

Another mistake involves the Star Buddy (yellow) and the Heart Buddy (red) switching colours in one scene early in the film, after the Caring Meter at the Kingdom of Caring tolls to alert Noble Heart of a villain.

Comparisions with The Care Bears Movie

The first Care Bears Movie serves as an origin story for the creation of the Care Bear Cousins and how they joined the Care Bears. At first, the Bears and Cousins know nothing about each other, until both groups meet up for the first time at the Forest of Feelings (in the middle of the film). Noble Heart and True Heart are not present in this instalment, because they were not created in the toy line yet.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation ]

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