Boonie

The ninth feature in a hugely popular Chinese animated series directed by Lin Yongchang and Shao Heqi, Boonie Bears: Guardian Code is also the franchise’s highest-grossing film, second behind The Wandering Earth 2 as the biggest Chinese film of 2023 so far. With its two main characters Bramble and Briar, adorable bears who were abandoned by their mother in a forest fire, this environmentally conscious adventure is an entertaining, if rather formulaic, ride.For lovers of cute animals, the CGI designs of the brothers are…

It is refreshing to see that, within the digital animation blitz, some things remain resolutely old-fashioned. At one point in this Chinese animated blockbuster, the eighth film spin-off from a popular kids’ TV cartoon series, lead character Bramble (Joseph S Lambert) dresses up as a sexy lady, Bugs Bunny-style, as a diversion. And with his penchant for frequent snack breaks, this lovable lummox – who for obscure reasons lives with another bear, two monkeys and one human in the forest of Bear Ridge – resembles no one so…