Open Season (film)
Encyclopedia
Open Season is a 2006 computer-animated
comedy film
, written by Steve Bencich
and Ron J. Friedman
and directed by Jill Culton
, Roger Allers
, and Anthony Stacchi
, and production designed by Michael Humphries. The film was produced by Sony Pictures Animation
and released by Columbia Pictures
on September 29, 2006.
The story centers around woodland creatures that are traditionally hunted
teaming up against hunters. The film features the voices of Martin Lawrence
, Ashton Kutcher
, Gary Sinise
, Debra Messing
, Jon Favreau
, Matthew W. Taylor, Jane Krakowski
, Billy Connolly
, Georgia Engel, and Patrick Warburton
.
It has also been released in the IMAX 3D format. It was Sony Pictures Animation's first theatrical feature. A video game
for the film was released on multiple platforms.
Boog (Martin Lawrence
) enjoys a captive, but happy existence. He spends his day as the star attraction of the town's nature show and spends his nights living the life of luxury in the garage
of park ranger
Beth (Debra Messing
) who raised him since he was a cub.
One day, the hunting fanatic Shaw (Gary Sinise
) drives into town with the one-antlered buck mule deer
, Elliot (Ashton Kutcher
) strapped to the hood of his truck. Boog accidentally wakes him and the two scream in terror. With Boog reluctant to intervene, Elliot begs to Boog for help to escape. At the last minute and against his better judgement, Boog frees Elliot before Shaw can go after him. Boog never expects to see his "buddy" again.
Elliot follows Boog home and finds him sleeping in the garage and starts to throw rabbit
s at the window to wake him. Elliot tells Boog the he is intent on returning the favor by "freeing" him from his garage captivity. Boog refuses to go with Elliot, but he still goes with Elliot when Elliot shows him a chocolate bar (which he calls a Woo Hoo Bar) and tells him that they can get more outside. Elliot begins to introduce Boog to a world of sweet temptations outside of the garage that he has never known. The two head for "Puni Mart", a convenience store. Boog and Elliot ransack the Puni Mart, causing a mess. Elliot escapes before Boog is caught by a friend of Beth, Sheriff Gordy (Gordon Tootoosis). Back home, Gordy tells Beth that it would be better if Boog were released into the wild.
During the nature show, Elliot who is being chased by Shaw runs into backstage and locks the door. Boog gets mad remembering the events Elliot made him go through. Boog attacks the buck, causing the whole audience in the show to panic (because it looks as of Boog is killing Elliot behind the curtain) before Boog threatens to kill Elliot. The two crash out of the curtains. Shaw prepares to shoot Boog, but the bear is instead shot by Beth with a tranquilizer gun; she shoots Elliot as well (six times in the butt). The duo are released
into the Timberline National Forest, only three days before the start of open season.
Boog wakes up and realizes he has been released into the forest, and threatens to throw Elliot off a cliff, stating that Elliot drove him to this. Boog eventually throws Elliot into the air rather than throwing him off the cliff. Elliot's antlers get stuck in the ground, and while Boog goes around the forest in circles in search of Timberline , Elliot tries to break free. Boog decides to get familiar with the forest and tries to climb up a tree, but is attacked by a red squirrel called McSquizzy (Billy Connolly
) and his gang. Soon, Boog gives up and frees Elliot and takes him as his hapless guide to get him back home to Timberline to reunite with Beth. But in the woods, they quickly learn that it's every animal for itself. The two run into their share of the forest animals including hot-tempered skunk
s (Nika Futterman
and Michelle Murdocca), psychotic duck
s (Danny Mann
and Matthew W. Taylor) and panic-stricken rabbits. They also run into critters such as the Scottish
-accented squirrel
, Reilly (Jon Favreau
) and his beaver
construction worker team, and a porcupine
(Matthew W. Taylor) who is in search of a friend (known as Buddy). With each adverse encounter, Boog learns a little about self-reliance
and Elliot gains self-respect. Elliot finds his herd
crush, a pretty female, Giselle (Jane Krakowski
), but is also found by the herd leader, Ian (Patrick Warburton
), a "jock" mule deer who had forced Elliot out of the herd before. They walk away from Ian's taunting, realizing that they've obtained true friendship.
Elliot tries to lead Boog out of the forest, but it becomes evident that he has no clue where they are going, because Boog realizes they meet the same animals again and again. After winding up at Reilly's dam, Boog and Elliot are confronted by Shaw. Boog tries to run over the dam, but it is not a "load bearing structure" . It breaks under his weight and the rush of water washes everyone in the forest, including Shaw, to the clearing below the 'falls.
At first, everyone blames Boog, but Boog accuses Elliot of lying to him about leading him home. Elliot confesses, saying he wanted Boog as a friend and thought if they just spent time together it would work out. Angry, Boog leaves, attempting to find Timberline on his own. He unwittingly find Shaw's log cabin. Shaw discovers him and pursues him. Boog flees to the city road where Boog finds a group of trucks with hunters in them, zooming past him and he soon finds the glowing lights of Timberline. Instead of deserting his companions, Boog decides to take Elliot with him, but the other animals want to live in the garage too, but they realize there is no way out because the hunters have already gathered around the forest. Boog decides that they should defend themselves, and they collect supplies from Bob and Bobby's (two scientists) RV while their pet, Mr. Weenie, joins the animals.
The following day, Boog witnesses the hunters coming, and sends a signal to the animals by flinging one of the mule deers of the herd in the air. Elliot receives the signal and sends out the ducks, who are carrying skunks, into the air, causing stinky green air to flow around the forest. Meanwhile, Elliot and the squirrels ride on the mule deers and charge. On the other side, Boog and the other animals charge too, causing a big rampage. The ducks drop a tank of gas (known as "Mr. Happy") onto one of the hunters trucks, but it goes out, so McSquizzy flings some dynamite into the air, and all the trucks blow up, and the hunters all run away. All the animals start celebrating. Suddenly, Shaw appears, and attempts to kill Boog with his gun, but Elliot shoots things that they had stolen from the RV. One of the objects hits the gun, and the gun falls out of reach. Shaw then proceeds to attack Boog with his hunting knife. Boog beats him with a golf club Elliot had shot. Shaw, within reaching distance of his gun, grabs it, and attempts to shoot Boog. Elliot takes the bullet meant for Boog, enraging Boog who tackles Shaw, roars loudly in his face, then ties him up with his own gun. Boog finds that Elliot survived the wound, only losing his second antler in the fight. Beth returns to take Boog back home where he will be safe, but he instead stays with his friends. They both realize that the bear is at home in the forest.
, known for his comic strip In the Bleachers
. Moore and producer John Carls submitted the story to Sony in June 2002, and the movie immediately went into development. On February 29, 2004, Sony Pictures Animation announced the beginning of the production on its first CGI animated feature, Open Season.
The film location was inspired by the towns of Sun Valley, Idaho
and McCall, Idaho
, and the Sawtooth National Forest
. References to the Lawn Lake, Colorado, Dam flood, Longs Peak
, and other points of interest in the area are depicted in the film.
The Sony animation team developed a digital tool called shapers that allowed the animators to re-shape the character models into stronger poses and silhouettes and subtle distortions such as squash, stretch, and smears, typical of traditional, hand-drawn animation.
Martin Lawrence
and Ashton Kutcher
never met during production.
on January 30, 2007. It includes a new animated short called Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run
. It was later released to 3D Blu-ray on November 16, 2010.
based on the film was released for PlayStation 2
, PlayStation 3
, Xbox 360
, Wii
, Nintendo DS
, and Microsoft Windows
.
gave the film 47% with the consensus "Open Season is a cliched palette of tired jokes and CG animal shenanigans that have been seen multiple times this cinematic year."
Kevin Smith
gave the film a good review during an appearance as a guest critic on At the Movies with Ebert and Roeper saying "If your kids like poop jokes as much as I do, Open Season will put a big smile on their faces." However, Richard Roeper
gave the film a mixed review saying "It's just okay, the animation is uninspired."
The film opened #1 with $23 million on its opening weekend. It grossed $85.1 million in the United States
and $104.8 million in foreign countries making $189.9 million worldwide.
Rolling Stone
gave the film's soundtrack three stars out of five, as did Allmusic.
by Ramin Djawadi
(half of the 1980s synthpop duo Blancmange
) and several original songs by Paul Westerberg
, formerly of The Replacements.
Track list:
Open Season - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (10 LP) includes two songs that did not appear on the soundtrack CD: an alternative version of I Belong and a Paul Westerberg's version of Wild as I Wanna Be.
sequels have been made: Open Season 2 was released on September 24, 2008 and Open Season 3 was released on October 21, 2010.
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
, written by Steve Bencich
Steve Bencich
Steve Bencich is an American screenwriter best known for his work with Ron J. Friedman.Bencich and Friedman have collaborated on screenplays for several animated films, including Brother Bear, Chicken Little and Open Season...
and Ron J. Friedman
Ron J. Friedman
Ron J. Friedman is an American screenwriter best known for his work with Steve Bencich.Friedman and Bencich have collaborated on screenplays for several animated films, including Brother Bear, Chicken Little and Open Season...
and directed by Jill Culton
Jill Culton
Jill Culton is an American animator, who is best known for her directorial debut on Sony's first animated movie, Open Season.Previously, she studied at the Character Animation program at the California Institute of the Arts....
, Roger Allers
Roger Allers
Roger Allers is an Oscar-nominated American film director, screenwriter, storyboard artist, animator and Tony-nominated playwright...
, and Anthony Stacchi
Anthony Stacchi
Anthony F. Stacchi is an American effects animator and film director.Stacchi graduated from California Institute of the Arts with a BFA in Film then went on to be an Animator and Commercial Director at San Francisco's Colossal Pictures and an effects animator at Industrial Light and Magic on Back...
, and production designed by Michael Humphries. The film was produced by Sony Pictures Animation
Sony Pictures Animation
Sony Pictures Animation is an American computer-animated film production company owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, founded in May 2002. It is working closely with Sony Pictures Imageworks, which takes care of the digital production...
and released by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
on September 29, 2006.
The story centers around woodland creatures that are traditionally hunted
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
teaming up against hunters. The film features the voices of Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...
, Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher
Christopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
, Gary Sinise
Gary Sinise
Gary Alan Sinise is an American actor, film director and musician. During his career, Sinise has won various awards including an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1992, Sinise directed, and played the role of George Milton in the successful film adaptation of...
, Debra Messing
Debra Messing
Debra Lynn Messing is an American actress, voice artist, and comedienne. She is perhaps best known for her role as Grace Adler in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and as Molly Kagan in the mini-series The Starter Wife....
, Jon Favreau
Jon Favreau
Jonathan Kolia "Jon" Favreau is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers , Very Bad Things, and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens...
, Matthew W. Taylor, Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
, Billy Connolly
Billy Connolly
William "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin...
, Georgia Engel, and Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton
Patrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
.
It has also been released in the IMAX 3D format. It was Sony Pictures Animation's first theatrical feature. A video game
Open Season (video game)
Open Season is a video game based on the film of the same name. It was released for Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, Xbox 360, Xbox, Nintendo DS and Nintendo GameCube...
for the film was released on multiple platforms.
Plot
In the tranquil town of Timberline, 900-pound grizzly bearGrizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
Boog (Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...
) enjoys a captive, but happy existence. He spends his day as the star attraction of the town's nature show and spends his nights living the life of luxury in the garage
Garage (house)
A residential garage is part of a home, or an associated building, designed or used for storing a vehicle or vehicles. In some places the term is used synonymously with "carport", though that term normally describes a structure that is not completely enclosed.- British residential garages:Those...
of park ranger
Park ranger
A park ranger or forest ranger is a person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks. Different countries use different names for the position. Ranger is the favored term in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Within the United...
Beth (Debra Messing
Debra Messing
Debra Lynn Messing is an American actress, voice artist, and comedienne. She is perhaps best known for her role as Grace Adler in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and as Molly Kagan in the mini-series The Starter Wife....
) who raised him since he was a cub.
One day, the hunting fanatic Shaw (Gary Sinise
Gary Sinise
Gary Alan Sinise is an American actor, film director and musician. During his career, Sinise has won various awards including an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1992, Sinise directed, and played the role of George Milton in the successful film adaptation of...
) drives into town with the one-antlered buck mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, Elliot (Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher
Christopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
) strapped to the hood of his truck. Boog accidentally wakes him and the two scream in terror. With Boog reluctant to intervene, Elliot begs to Boog for help to escape. At the last minute and against his better judgement, Boog frees Elliot before Shaw can go after him. Boog never expects to see his "buddy" again.
Elliot follows Boog home and finds him sleeping in the garage and starts to throw rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s at the window to wake him. Elliot tells Boog the he is intent on returning the favor by "freeing" him from his garage captivity. Boog refuses to go with Elliot, but he still goes with Elliot when Elliot shows him a chocolate bar (which he calls a Woo Hoo Bar) and tells him that they can get more outside. Elliot begins to introduce Boog to a world of sweet temptations outside of the garage that he has never known. The two head for "Puni Mart", a convenience store. Boog and Elliot ransack the Puni Mart, causing a mess. Elliot escapes before Boog is caught by a friend of Beth, Sheriff Gordy (Gordon Tootoosis). Back home, Gordy tells Beth that it would be better if Boog were released into the wild.
During the nature show, Elliot who is being chased by Shaw runs into backstage and locks the door. Boog gets mad remembering the events Elliot made him go through. Boog attacks the buck, causing the whole audience in the show to panic (because it looks as of Boog is killing Elliot behind the curtain) before Boog threatens to kill Elliot. The two crash out of the curtains. Shaw prepares to shoot Boog, but the bear is instead shot by Beth with a tranquilizer gun; she shoots Elliot as well (six times in the butt). The duo are released
Wildlife rehabilitation
Wildlife rehabilitation is the process of removing from the wild and caring for injured, orphaned, or sick wild animals. The goal of wildlife rehabilitation is to provide the food, housing and medical care of these animals, returning them to the wild after treatment.-Process:Rehabilitation begins...
into the Timberline National Forest, only three days before the start of open season.
Boog wakes up and realizes he has been released into the forest, and threatens to throw Elliot off a cliff, stating that Elliot drove him to this. Boog eventually throws Elliot into the air rather than throwing him off the cliff. Elliot's antlers get stuck in the ground, and while Boog goes around the forest in circles in search of Timberline , Elliot tries to break free. Boog decides to get familiar with the forest and tries to climb up a tree, but is attacked by a red squirrel called McSquizzy (Billy Connolly
Billy Connolly
William "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin...
) and his gang. Soon, Boog gives up and frees Elliot and takes him as his hapless guide to get him back home to Timberline to reunite with Beth. But in the woods, they quickly learn that it's every animal for itself. The two run into their share of the forest animals including hot-tempered skunk
Skunk
Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...
s (Nika Futterman
Nika Futterman
Nika Futterman is an American actress, singer, voice artist, and comedienne.She did the vocals "Give it to me, baby" in The Offspring hit single "Pretty Fly ."-Animated Series:...
and Michelle Murdocca), psychotic duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s (Danny Mann
Danny Mann
Daniel "Danny" Mann is an American voice actor, writer, singer, musician, and production manager. He is best known for his voice of Hector from Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats, Freeway, Cloudraker and Lightspeed in Transformers, Backwoods Beagle in DuckTales, Kaltag in Balto, Ferdinand from Babe,...
and Matthew W. Taylor) and panic-stricken rabbits. They also run into critters such as the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
-accented squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
, Reilly (Jon Favreau
Jon Favreau
Jonathan Kolia "Jon" Favreau is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers , Very Bad Things, and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens...
) and his beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
construction worker team, and a porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
(Matthew W. Taylor) who is in search of a friend (known as Buddy). With each adverse encounter, Boog learns a little about self-reliance
Self-sufficiency
Self-sufficiency refers to the state of not requiring any outside aid, support, or interaction, for survival; it is therefore a type of personal or collective autonomy...
and Elliot gains self-respect. Elliot finds his herd
Herd
Herd refers to a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic, and also to the form of collective animal behavior associated with this or as a verb, to herd, to its control by another species such as humans or dogs.The term herd is generally applied to mammals,...
crush, a pretty female, Giselle (Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
), but is also found by the herd leader, Ian (Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton
Patrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
), a "jock" mule deer who had forced Elliot out of the herd before. They walk away from Ian's taunting, realizing that they've obtained true friendship.
Elliot tries to lead Boog out of the forest, but it becomes evident that he has no clue where they are going, because Boog realizes they meet the same animals again and again. After winding up at Reilly's dam, Boog and Elliot are confronted by Shaw. Boog tries to run over the dam, but it is not a "load bearing structure" . It breaks under his weight and the rush of water washes everyone in the forest, including Shaw, to the clearing below the 'falls.
At first, everyone blames Boog, but Boog accuses Elliot of lying to him about leading him home. Elliot confesses, saying he wanted Boog as a friend and thought if they just spent time together it would work out. Angry, Boog leaves, attempting to find Timberline on his own. He unwittingly find Shaw's log cabin. Shaw discovers him and pursues him. Boog flees to the city road where Boog finds a group of trucks with hunters in them, zooming past him and he soon finds the glowing lights of Timberline. Instead of deserting his companions, Boog decides to take Elliot with him, but the other animals want to live in the garage too, but they realize there is no way out because the hunters have already gathered around the forest. Boog decides that they should defend themselves, and they collect supplies from Bob and Bobby's (two scientists) RV while their pet, Mr. Weenie, joins the animals.
The following day, Boog witnesses the hunters coming, and sends a signal to the animals by flinging one of the mule deers of the herd in the air. Elliot receives the signal and sends out the ducks, who are carrying skunks, into the air, causing stinky green air to flow around the forest. Meanwhile, Elliot and the squirrels ride on the mule deers and charge. On the other side, Boog and the other animals charge too, causing a big rampage. The ducks drop a tank of gas (known as "Mr. Happy") onto one of the hunters trucks, but it goes out, so McSquizzy flings some dynamite into the air, and all the trucks blow up, and the hunters all run away. All the animals start celebrating. Suddenly, Shaw appears, and attempts to kill Boog with his gun, but Elliot shoots things that they had stolen from the RV. One of the objects hits the gun, and the gun falls out of reach. Shaw then proceeds to attack Boog with his hunting knife. Boog beats him with a golf club Elliot had shot. Shaw, within reaching distance of his gun, grabs it, and attempts to shoot Boog. Elliot takes the bullet meant for Boog, enraging Boog who tackles Shaw, roars loudly in his face, then ties him up with his own gun. Boog finds that Elliot survived the wound, only losing his second antler in the fight. Beth returns to take Boog back home where he will be safe, but he instead stays with his friends. They both realize that the bear is at home in the forest.
Voice cast
- Martin LawrenceMartin LawrenceMartin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...
as Boog, a 900-pound grizzly bear. - Ashton KutcherAshton KutcherChristopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
as Elliot, a hyperactive, mule deer with only one antler. - Gary SiniseGary SiniseGary Alan Sinise is an American actor, film director and musician. During his career, Sinise has won various awards including an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1992, Sinise directed, and played the role of George Milton in the successful film adaptation of...
as Shaw, the nastiest hunter in Timberline and Beth's arch-rival. - Debra MessingDebra MessingDebra Lynn Messing is an American actress, voice artist, and comedienne. She is perhaps best known for her role as Grace Adler in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and as Molly Kagan in the mini-series The Starter Wife....
as Beth, a park ranger who raised Boog since he was a cub. - Billy ConnollyBilly ConnollyWilliam "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin...
as McSquizzy, a grumpy, old Scottish-accented red squirrel. - Jon FavreauJon FavreauJonathan Kolia "Jon" Favreau is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers , Very Bad Things, and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens...
as Reilly, a beaver. - Patrick WarburtonPatrick WarburtonPatrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
as Ian, a "jock" mule deer who is Elliot's arch-rival. He has forced Elliot out of the herd, and told him to never come back. - Jane KrakowskiJane KrakowskiJane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
as Giselle, Elliot's love interest. - Gordon Tootoosis as Gordy, Timberline's sheriff and Beth's friend.
- Georgia Engel as Bobbie, an overweight woman.
- Cody CameronCody CameronCody Cameron is an American voice actor, writer, animator, director, artist, and screenwriter, best known for voicing Pinocchio, the Three Little Pigs, and an Ogre Baby in the Shrek series.-Career:...
as Mr. Weenie, a domesticated, German-accented dachshund. - Danny MannDanny MannDaniel "Danny" Mann is an American voice actor, writer, singer, musician, and production manager. He is best known for his voice of Hector from Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats, Freeway, Cloudraker and Lightspeed in Transformers, Backwoods Beagle in DuckTales, Kaltag in Balto, Ferdinand from Babe,...
as Serge, a French-accented, psychotic mallard duck. - Matthew W. Taylor as Deni, Serge's dim-witted companion. Taylor also voiced Porcupine, an unnamed blue North American porcupine who is in search of a friend.
Production
The idea for the film came from cartoonist Steve MooreSteve Moore (cartoonist)
Steve Moore is an American cartoonist. He is the creator of the syndicated sports cartoon In the Bleachers and the animated movies Open Season and Alpha and Omega . He is working on Alpha And Omega 2-External links:...
, known for his comic strip In the Bleachers
In The Bleachers
In The Bleachers is a comic that comments on, and lampoons, sports. It was created in 1985 by cartoonist Steve Moore and is syndicated internationally by Universal Press Syndicate....
. Moore and producer John Carls submitted the story to Sony in June 2002, and the movie immediately went into development. On February 29, 2004, Sony Pictures Animation announced the beginning of the production on its first CGI animated feature, Open Season.
The film location was inspired by the towns of Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley is a resort city in Blaine County in the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum, lying within the greater Wood River valley. Tourists from around the world enjoy its skiing, hiking, ice skating, trail riding, tennis, and cycling. The population was 1,427...
and McCall, Idaho
McCall, Idaho
McCall is a resort town on the western edge of Valley County, Idaho, United States. Named after its founder, Tom McCall, it is situated on the southern shore of Payette Lake, near the center of the Payette National Forest...
, and the Sawtooth National Forest
Sawtooth National Forest
Sawtooth National Forest is in Idaho and Utah was protected in 1905 by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt as the Sawtooth Forest Reserve. Today the forest administers over 2.1 million acres of some of the most remote forestland in the lower 48 states, and there are over 1,000 lakes and 3,000...
. References to the Lawn Lake, Colorado, Dam flood, Longs Peak
Longs Peak
Longs Peak is one of the 53 mountains with summits over 14,000 feet in Colorado. It can be prominently seen from Longmont, Colorado, as well as from the rest of the Colorado Front Range. It is named after Major Stephen Long, who explored the area in the 1820s...
, and other points of interest in the area are depicted in the film.
The Sony animation team developed a digital tool called shapers that allowed the animators to re-shape the character models into stronger poses and silhouettes and subtle distortions such as squash, stretch, and smears, typical of traditional, hand-drawn animation.
Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...
and Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher
Christopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
never met during production.
Home video
The film was released on DVD and UMD Video and Blu-RayBlu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on January 30, 2007. It includes a new animated short called Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run
Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run
Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run is a computer animated short film from Sony Pictures Animation. As a spin-off of the animated film Open Season, Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run was released on the Open Season DVD and Blu-ray on January 30, 2007.-Plot:Bob and Bobbie leave the trailer to go...
. It was later released to 3D Blu-ray on November 16, 2010.
Video game
A video gameOpen Season (video game)
Open Season is a video game based on the film of the same name. It was released for Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, Xbox 360, Xbox, Nintendo DS and Nintendo GameCube...
based on the film was released for PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
.
Reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. Critics of Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gave the film 47% with the consensus "Open Season is a cliched palette of tired jokes and CG animal shenanigans that have been seen multiple times this cinematic year."
Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
gave the film a good review during an appearance as a guest critic on At the Movies with Ebert and Roeper saying "If your kids like poop jokes as much as I do, Open Season will put a big smile on their faces." However, Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Richard E. Roeper is an American columnist and film critic for The Chicago Sun-Times and now a co-host on The Roe Conn Show on WLS-AM...
gave the film a mixed review saying "It's just okay, the animation is uninspired."
The film opened #1 with $23 million on its opening weekend. It grossed $85.1 million in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and $104.8 million in foreign countries making $189.9 million worldwide.
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave the film's soundtrack three stars out of five, as did Allmusic.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack includes an original film scoreFilm score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
by Ramin Djawadi
Ramin Djawadi
Ramin Djawadi is a German composer of orchestral music for film and television. He was born in Duisburg, Germany to an Iranian father and German mother...
(half of the 1980s synthpop duo Blancmange
Blancmange
Blancmange is a sweet dessert commonly made with milk or cream and sugar thickened with gelatin, cornstarch or Irish moss, and often flavored with almonds. It is usually set in a mould and served cold. Although traditionally white, blancmanges are frequently given a pink color as well...
) and several original songs by Paul Westerberg
Paul Westerberg
Paul Westerberg is an American musician, best known as the former lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter of The Replacements, one of the seminal alternative rock bands of the 1980s. He launched a solo career after the dissolution of that band...
, formerly of The Replacements.
Track list:
Open Season - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (10 LP) includes two songs that did not appear on the soundtrack CD: an alternative version of I Belong and a Paul Westerberg's version of Wild as I Wanna Be.
Credits
- Adam Ayan – Mastering
- Bob Badami – Music Consultant
- Jeff "Bucko" Biggers – Engineer
- Michael BlandMichael BlandMichael Bland is best known as a drummer for Prince starting in 1989. He was with Prince during The New Power Generation era and played with him live and on albums for 7 years....
– Drums - Jim Boquist – Bass, Mandolin, Accordion, Vocals (bckgr)
- Kevin Bowe – Harmonica, Percussion, Engineer, Sitar (Electric)
- Kim Buie – A&R
- John Fields – Mixing
- Lou GiordanoLou GiordanoLou Giordano is a record producer and recording engineer who worked at Radiobeat Studios and Fort Apache Studios. He has produced a wide variety of bands, including Hüsker Dü, the Goo Goo Dolls, and many others....
– Producer - Dana Gumbiner – Producer
- Darren Hill – A&R
- Michelle Kinney – Cello
- Karen Naff – Design
- Tommy StinsonTommy StinsonThomas "Tommy" Eugene Stinson is an American musician best known for his work as the bassist for The Replacements and Guns N' Roses as well as the post-Replacements groups Bash & Pop, where he performed guitar duties, and Perfect...
– Bass, Vocals - Lia Vollack – Soundtrack Producer
- Paul WesterbergPaul WesterbergPaul Westerberg is an American musician, best known as the former lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter of The Replacements, one of the seminal alternative rock bands of the 1980s. He launched a solo career after the dissolution of that band...
– Guitar, Harmonica, Piano, Accordion, Vocals, Producer
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Top Soundtracks |
15 |
Sequels
Two direct-to-videoDirect-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
sequels have been made: Open Season 2 was released on September 24, 2008 and Open Season 3 was released on October 21, 2010.