Kung Fu Bear

Kung Fu Bear is a 2008 computer-animated traditionally comedy-drama action-thriller-adventure epic fantasy family film directed by John Musker, Ron Clements, Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise and Brian Pimental, produced by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Brian Pimental, Tab Murphy and story by Brian Pimental and Jeanee Rosenberg. The first animated film to be mistakenley listed in the Walt Disney Animated Classics canon.

Joaquin Phoenix, Mel Gibson, Claudia Christian, Jacqueline Obradors, Seth MacFarlane, Don Novello, Dan Castellaneta, James Earl Jones, Rowan Atkinson and Jeremy Irons starred as voices in the film.

The movie was in development after the release of The Wild. Disney released this movie was a masterpiece Kung fu kicking action packed movie in 2008 before the released of Dreamworks Animation Kung Fu Panda. The film was premiered on April 4, 2008 and on May 16, 2008 following The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian in the United States, June 13, 2008 in the UK and October 10, 2008 in Australia.

The film was distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media in its first animated feature film where in the USA, Disney released a cannon on four films that was released in 2008. Hans Zimmer, John Powell, James Newton Howard and Mark Mancina provided the films score.

Cast

 * Joaquin Phoenix as Kenai, a bear who is Koda's brother, John Smith's student and Zazu's friend. Glen Keane was a supervising animator for Kenai.
 * Mel Gibson as John Smith, a man who is Kenai's student, Helga's commander and Mufasa's friend. John Pomeroy was a supervising animator for John Smith.
 * Claudia Christen as Milla, Kenai’s Girlfriend.

Additional Voices

 * Steven Jay Blum - Duck on Steps
 * Jess Harnell - Duck on Steps
 * Hope Levy
 * Jack Angel - Rhinoceros, Gorilla Guard #1
 * Rodger Bumpass - Flamingo
 * Mona Marshall - Mother Rabbit
 * Emily Hahn - Child Rabbit
 * Laraine Newman
 * Cathy Cavadini
 * John DeMita - Goose
 * Greg Finley - Big Goat
 * Mary Linda-Phillips - Mother Elephant
 * Patrick Pinney - Gorilla Guard #2
 * Phil Proctor - Monkey
 * Patti Deutsch - Mother Elephant
 * Brian Posehn - Flying Bird
 * Bill Farmer - Geese
 * Debi Derryberry - Pig Mother
 * Jim Ward - Palace Announcer
 * Evan Sabara - Child Rabbit, Young Scar
 * Daryl Sabara - Child Rabbit
 * Paul Eiding - Gorilla Guard #3, Angry Rhino in crowd
 * Pamela Adlon
 * Pat Fraley - Hyena Guard
 * John Cygan - Gorilla Guard #4
 * Tim Mertens - Little Goat
 * Laura Marano - Child Rabbit
 * Vanessa Marano - Child Rabbit
 * Bob Bergen - Eagle Messenger, Hyena Guard
 * Jennifer Darling - Female Mother Geese
 * Gregg Berger - Gorilla Guard #5
 * Jessica Evans
 * Teresa Ganzel
 * Sherry Lynn - Cheering Female Duck
 * Danny Mann - Duck, "Hey it's that Bear" crowd
 * Jane Carr - Mother Bird
 * Alec Medlock - Spoonbill
 * Colleen O'Shaughnessy
 * Jan Rabson - Geese
 * Hynden Walch
 * Mickie McGowan - Female Pig
 * Tara Strong
 * Carlos Alazraqui - Hyena Guard
 * Rove McManus - Hyena Guard
 * Bill Striglos
 * Luck Hari - Giraffe Mother
 * Matthew Mercer
 * Mindy Sterling
 * April Winchell
 * Gino Conforti
 * Nolan North

Production
On February 7, 2006, Production of the film was in development when Disney announced that film.

On March 1, 2006, The title was originally going to be called Bears in China, but it was called Kung Fu Bear. In May 2006, Joaquin Phoenix reprise his role as Kenai from Brother Bear when he was announced to voice the bear again.

On July 4, 2006, it was announced the voices of the entire cast were Mel Gibson, Claudia Christian, Don Novello, Dan Castellaneta, Seth MacFarlane, Jacqueline Obradors, Rupert Everett, Rowan Atkinson, Gilbert Gottfried, James Earl Jones, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Heath Ledger, James Gandolfini, Gerard Butler, Colin Farrell and Daniel Craig, but in March 2007, Earle Haley, Dean Morgan, Ledger, Gandolfini and Daniel Craig were all replaced by Michael Madsen, Lance Henriksen, Willem Dafoe, Jeremy Irons and Ben Kingsley while Everett, Atkinson, Farrell, Butler, Gottfried and Earl Jones keep their roles in the film.

Sequels
In July 2008, after the release of Kung Fu Bear, Disney released a sequel called Kung Fu Bear 2, which was released on May 21, 2010 and the first hand-drawn film to be released in 3D, a third sequel called Kung Fu Bear 3, which was released on July 13, 2012, Disney will release four sequels in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Home Media
Kung Fu Bear was released on DVD and HD DVD, on July 4, 2008, two and a half months after the film's release. The film was released on Blu-Ray and Blu Ray 3D in November 2008. Also, the film was re-released in 3D on October 7, 2009 along with release of Disney Digital Copy. The DVD has five discs of the digital copy of the film.

Trivia

 * Joaquin Phoenix and Mel Gibson, who voiced Kenai and John Smith, previously co-starred in Signs in 2002.
 * The film has martial arts action with more and more comedy and mild slapstick for children, directors thought it was too funny for children so the scenes were added in because this film is rated PG.
 * The music composers where four of them who collaborated were Hans Zimmer, John Powell, James Newton Howard and Mark Mancina. Zimmer and Newton Howard would later compose The Dark Knight and Powell would compose Hancock and Bolt in the same year.
 * James Gandolfini was originally going to play the voice of Scar. When he pulled out, Jeremy Irons replaced him.
 * The film was traditionally hand drawn while the sticks of bamboos is CGI because the film is computer generated and has animated settings.
 * Unlike other animals, Scar's claws are actually displayed in the movie, also Scar's claws are 1.7 inches long.
 * In March 2007, Disney/Pixar prepared a special trailer for Kung Fu Bear to show before Ratatouille during its initial theatrical release. This preview was later showing in screenings of Shrek The Third and The Simpsons Movie.
 * The film was originally going to be released on November 2007, but it was moved to May 2008.
 * The differences between the full screen and the widescreen versions when the film was released in theaters and on DVD. The aspect ratio was 16:9 in the TV version, also with HD-DVD along with the ratio were 1.40:1 aspect ratio on the DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital Copy. The Blu-Ray 3D has 1.50:1 aspect ratio. The Special Edition version of the film has kept this ratio 2.39.1. The theater film version had also kept this ratio 1.66:1 aspect in which the film footage is cropped and the ratio is kept for the rest of the family-friendly entrie film.
 * At about 147 minutes, it is the longest Disney film to date.