The Care Bears Movie (1985) User Reviews

An Honest Review

[generationofswine · 7/10 · 2 April 2017]

Yeah, my cool defense is that I was 5 when this went down.

So, Lucky Bear, he has an Irish Accent which, when you think about it and the fact that they all live and grew up and spent their entire lives in the same place, Care-a-Lot, just means that he has a speech impediment doesn't it?

Moving on, this will give you near instant tooth decay. It is way too sweet and even writing that makes me feel guilty because I know I just made the caring meter go down.

But it is brilliant, the concept is such that if you don't like you are instantly sort of a heartless git. A sociopath even.

It holds your humanity hostage

The first Care Bears movie!

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 4 November 2019]

The first Care Bears movie! What 1980s or 1990s kid didn't grow up with Care Bears? My brother and I have a collection of stuffed animals, all the movies on VHS, most of the television specials taped the old fashioned way, and most of the songs ready to sing at the drop of a hat. The Care Bears are so great, and they teach such wonderful things.

In the first movie, Mickey Rooney is the owner of an orphanage who narrates the story of magical Care Bears who live up in the clouds and seek out little kids in need of help through emotional situations. The Care Bears always help kids get in touch with their feelings and learn to express healthy emotions. To the Care Bears, everything, even grumpiness, is celebrated. This story centers on two orphaned children, and a magician who succumbs to evil influences, and other little adventures up in Care-a-Lot. Some parts are scary, like most cartoons, so if you're watching it with little ones, you might want to preview it or be prepared to shove popcorn in front of their faces. You'll also hear Carole King's songs "Care-a-Lot" and "Home is in Your Heart", reminding you that the movie was made in the 1980s. When you're done with this one, check out the next Care Bear flick: A New Generation!

I love the 80's!

[rockndaparadise · 7/10 · 10 March 2006]

The 80's were really the decade to live in! I have to admit, for someone my age, I honestly believe that the Care Bears movie is a very well-made movie. It came out the year I was born, and I'm reasonably sure that it is also the very first movie I ever saw in my entire life.

Now, where should I begin? Ah, yes. It makes me enjoy the movie a lot more now that I know that some famous people were involved in it. The story is narrated by Mickey Rooney, someone with a very kid-friendly voice. There was also Cree Summer, who did voices in various different cartoon series', and of course, Billie Mae Richards (Rudolph).

This is a great children's movie, and some adults can enjoy it too. I don't recommend this movie to the 7 to 18 range. It's pretty enjoyable, but it also has a lot of frightening parts. I was always scared to death of the dark spirit. To help lighten the mood, there are also some catchy songs in this movie as well, which are all done by famous pop artists such as Carol King and John Sebastian. Today, the only thing I really love about this movie is the finale song, "It's Great to Be in the Care Bear Family". For some odd reason, I'm such a sucker for all those "Kids of the Kingdom"-types of songs.

This movie was followed by two sequels. The first of the three was really good and really dark and dramatic, the second one was just as good but seemed more like a comedy than a drama, and the third one was just plain weird. Right now, I just wish I could watch this movie again and see how much stuff I can remember from it. I'm sure it will bring back to me some very fond memories.

I always hated the Care Bears... until now.

[San Franciscan · 19 April 2002]

I always hated the Care Bears.

The reason why is simple. Let's face it: The Kenner Company itself admitted that the movies and TV episodes were designed to sell the toys of the same name, a nauseating trend that eventually bored kids to death by the end of the eighties. And I immediately hated anything that was so crass as to be merely an animated advertisement because it was pointing to a very uncertain future for the industry as a whole at the time.

I was in my teens when the Care Bears were unleashed, and even with my reputation for creating cartoon animal characters I couldn't stand them and simply ignored them with every chance I got. The toys were EVERYWHERE and unavoidable, the TV show seemed to always be on in whatever store you went into and Kenner made a fortune. Trendy overload!

I don't know exactly when the craze stopped...probably around the time the decade ended, I guess... and I forgot all about them until my little foster sister recently told me about how much she loved the Care Bears when she was a toddler, and would I like to watch this movie with her?

I watched partially because I knew she wanted to share something special with me, but also because I was surprised to discover that this movie was animated by one of my all-time favourite studios, the award-winning Nelvana company up in Canada.

And now, guess what?

Now that the toys are all long gone (with the exception of being available online for collectors) and the merchandise is no longer being shoved down your throat until you want to scream, now that the trendiness has evaporated, and the movie has been long since stripped of any possibilities of being an advertisement for anything commercial at all... a film that once was the epitome of "commercial sellout" and "unoriginal trendy tripe" has now aged surprisingly well, and manages to stand on its own as a genuinely charming children's offering.

And I never thought I'd ever be defending "Care Bears" anything.

But what once seemed like pop shlock trash now feels genuinely charged with lighthearted spirits, a childlike-wonder innocence and well-meant passion. The animation here, simply put, is gorgeous. But then, Nelvana has always had a rich tradition of adding top quality to whatever they set their minds to. Even more surprising, the songs are provided by Carole King and John Sebastian (both who now seem like perfectly logical and touching choices to musically illustrate this morality tale).

It actually managed to get me misty-eyed and even on the verge of a tear, especially since it now serves as a reminder of how much innocence has been lost in the animation industry since the 80s. Back then, animation was seen in the United States as kiddie fluff, and so no one except the artists who loved the medium took it seriously. But in the 90s, we got a vicious backlash as a whole crowd of new animators--all sick and tired of being mocked for being cartoonists while growing up--unleashed upon the world a torrent of the ugliest, most thoroughly vicious and vile animation until the situation completely reversed itself, and suddenly animation is now seen as too "adult" for its own good. Things like this simply never get made anymore.

So in the real world, much to my surprise, the Care Bears actually HAVE succeeded in doing what they were always claiming to be doing in their show--they've survived all this time and now they really ARE bringing a caring and sensitive Christian message to a world and especially an entire industry which has lost its innocence. Our world is becoming uglier and more jaded by the year. We desperately need films like this to show our children now as opposed to "South Park", "Beavis and Butthead" and "Ren & Stimpy".

One note I wish to make, though: if you decide to check out any other Care Bears videotapes, be sure they are done by Nelvana and are NOT the early attempts by DIC Enterprises (also sarcastically known as "Do It Cheap"). The DIC cartoons are horrid and just plain awful. But anything with the famous Canadian Nelvana label is guaranteed to be created by artists who--no pun intended--genuinely care.

VASTLY SUPERIOR to the 2nd film - this one is QUINTESSENTIAL!

[decalderonne · 7/10 · 10 October 2021]

I just re-watched this one and the 2nd film ("New Generation") back to back, and although I used to have positive memories of the 2nd film too, I can see now that there is really no comparison - THIS film, the original one, is vastly superior in virtually every conceivable way!!!!! They really seemed to *CARE* (pun unintended) about creating a COMPREHENSIVE and all-encompassing kind of story here, that could represent the franchise in a *HIGHLY MEMORABLE AND MEANINGFUL MANNER*, whereas the 2nd film seemed to be hastily put together just to capitalize on the RESOUNDING SUCCESS of this feature!

Yes, obviously it has its very apparent flaws, but even at the age of 34, I am able to overlook the flaws in light of the SURPRISING NUMBER OF *STRENGTHS* herein. The Animation sequences of Care-a-Lot, the Forest of Feelings, the Cloud Kingdom River, the Evil Spirit/Book and even the Circus/Amusement Park are TRULY MAGICAL - totally transporting you to the world of the story, making it very easy to suspend your disbelief, and evoking both the GOOD and the EVIL "atmospheres/mise-en-scenes" here *MOST VIVIDLY*. :) Of course, the scene where the children at the magic show are fighting each other was not depicted in a credible manner, probably because they didn't want to depict actual violence, but one definitely gets the sense of what's at stake there, for the story to continue......

It really does NOT seem like all the Care Bears and their Cousins are thrown in here JUST TO SELL ALL THE TOYS, as some have asserted - rather, I think all these characters have been *SEAMLESSLY, NATURALLY AND EFFORTLESSLY* WOVEN INTO THE VERY FABRIC OF THE NARRATIVE. I definitely cannot say the same at all about the 2nd film - quite the opposite, to say the least, which is shocking because I think they both had the same writer!!!!!! This is definitely the quintessential Care Bear movie, and so it is very fittingly called just that - THE CARE BEARS MOVIE - nothing boring or unoriginal about the title, when you consider how admirably and cohesively it encapsulates both the world and the individual characters of the Care Bears (and their cousins).

The Villain here is also LEGITIMATELY SCARY AND OMINOUS from start to finish - nothing hokey about her depiction, unlike the ridiculous "Dark Heart" from the 2nd film who was about as hokey and lame and cartoony as one could get. The voice actress really transcends the genre here with her vocal performance, and this does not surprise me given her Shakespearean background. You are really left with the sense that this is an Evil Spirit that could be out there somewhere, especially if you are a spiritual or religious person. There were comparisons made between her and the Wicked Queen and Magic Mirror in Disney's 'Snow White', and I have to say, this villain is FAR SCARIER. Right from the word go, the viewer literally fears for the young magician Nicholas's soul, because they REALLY DO NOT HOLD BACK on what a BONA FIDE *THREAT* HER PRESENCE is. The animation, the voice acting, and the superb score all come together to accentuate this - to the point where it feels like a REAL LIVE-ACTION MOVIE, and not "just a cartoon" AT ALL!

The songs here are also EXCEEDINGLY SUPERIOR to the cringey, sickening tripe we get in the 2nd film!!!!! They do not talk down to children, nor do they try to FORCE-FEED the messages with the horrendous faux-fervour of the 2nd film's songs. Carole King's "Care-a-lot" perfectly straddles sensitivity to the target children demographic along with a mature sensibility that adults can tune into just as easily!! And all the FUN Care Bear/Care Bear Cousins songs also have a *GENUINENESS* that seems to flow VERY ORGANICALLY from the story itself, which cannot be said at all for the songs in the 2nd film.

The one song I found TOO ON THE NOSE was John Sebastian's "Nobody Cares Like a Bear", although it seems like he was aiming for a Vintage Disney 'Jungle Book' kind of vibe there - which I was not quite a fan of, but I can see why it was done that way, and it's certainly very valid in its own right. In fact, the film definitely evokes Disney's 'Pinocchio' as well during the Nicholas/Fettucine/Circus storyline scenes, and I think THAT nod to Vintage Disney was BRILLIANTLY HANDLED - bringing that sensibility to the 1980s REALLY ARTFULLY, and not at all in a heavy-handed manner.

The contrast between the "humdrum" world of most human beings, and the UTTERLY ENCHANTING world up in the heavens with the Care Bears and their Cousins was also masterfully depicted here. Only the most miserable cynic in the world would keep dissing a film like this - someone who has been left bereft of all their innocence AND their imagination (if they ever had any). I really do not find this feature to be CLOYING in any way, although again unfortunately the 2nd film would take the word "cloying" to disgustingly perverted proportions.

So if you are new to the vintage Care Bear franchise, watch THIS film *WITHOUT FAIL* - I can confidently recommend it because the pluses outweigh the minuses - and SKIP the 2nd film ("New Generation"). The only other film in the franchise that matches or even exceeds this one is THE CARE BEAR ADVENTURE IN WONDERLAND - which is brilliant and an all-time favourite of mine, but is ultimately not the quintessential Care Bear movie because it's as much about Wonderland and Alice (the world of Lewis Carroll), whereas THIS film is all about THE CARE BEARS and their mission on EARTH. :)

An absolute product of its time, harmless but still corny

[filmbuff-36 · 5/10 · 6 September 2003]

"The Care Bears Movie" was the most successful of the mid-80s cartoon movies based on toy lines. Perhaps I should stop right there for a moment and address the fact that this movie is indeed a vehicle for product placement. Because of this, the storytelling seems really awkward at times. More on that later.

The story concerns Kim and Jason, two orphans who don't really care about anyone because they were abandoned by their parents. Quite heavy stuff for a kid's cartoon, but I digress. Anyway, little do they know that there is a secretive (but not completely secretive) society of cute, magical little bears that live in the clouds and monitor the amount of love and caring on Earth. These are of course the titular Care Bears, two of which, Friend Bear and Secret Bear (The Jay and Silent Bob of Care Bears), show up to try to make friends with them. They all accidentally get "beamed up" to the Care Bears' home Care-a-Lot (yuck!), where the two kids begin to change their apathetic tune.

At the same time, a ne'er-do-well magician's helper named Nicholas, who is friendly though quite clumsy and lonely, has accidentally stumbled onto a talking magic book that is trying to trick him into doing evil things. While trying to impress a group of kids with his magic tricks, Nicholas ends up getting heckled and the books suggest to him that if no one will like him then he should make the rest of the world just as miserable as he is.

The rest of the movie mainly concerns Secret Bear and Friend Bear's adventures with Kim and Jason through the Forest of Feelings (yuck!) while meeting and recruiting various helpful creatures and also the rest of the Care Bears' journey down a river (while also meeting helpful creatures) to get to Earth and stop Nicholas, whose spells are destroying Care-a-Lot (yuck!) and wiping out all the caring in the world.

"The Care Bears Movie" seems to be in a rush to do everything, and because of this, things seem to happen a tad too conveniently. Kim and Jason go from not caring about anyone to being fully devoted to stopping the evil book just a tad too quickly to be believable. Also, while one group is traveling through the Forest of Feelings (yuck!) and the other is boating down the river, the various helpful animals always seem to appear just in time to save the Care Bears. It's the type of movie where you can solve any problem by simply adding a new character, in this case these "Care Bear Cousins" (as the product line was dubbed).

This is perhaps the movie's biggest faux pas; way too many characters that are poorly developed that exist only to sell toys. There's even a song at one point sung by Brave Heart Lion (The Cousins' unofficial leader) where he gets EVEN MORE animals to join the crusade against the evil book; these ones presumably not important enough to have their own introductory story arcs. But I'm sure they must have made great dolls.

Nicholas is the only "realistic" character in the whole movie, which makes his gradual seduction to the "dark side" all the more frightening. (I know, it seems like I'm asking a lot from a movie about magical little bears, but again, I digress). It's here that the filmmakers make their strongest point: many children just need someone to be friends with, and if they don't receive positive influence, there will be plenty of unscrupulous people ready to step in and fill that void.

Other than some poor plotting, the movie is also punctuated with plenty of annoying songs about loving, caring and friendship. Trust me, your skin will crawl when former Lovin' Spoonful lead singer John Sebastian sings songs about how "No body cares like a bear" and that "It's great to be in the Care Bear Family."

Also, the dialogue... Oh, enough can't be said about the disgustingly cute dialogue! Horrible, horrible things should have been done to the screenwriter! But it is a movie aimed at little girls (a demographic I thankfully was never a part of) and based on characters from American Greetings cards (the Care Bears are from Cleveland, who knew?), so syrupy language is to be expected.

I watched this movie again for the first time in more than ten years just a few months back, and if I can say anything absolutely positive about it, it was that it reminded me of my childhood. While there is nothing offensive in it, it's just so cute that during my last viewing I still squirmed around in the chair uncomfortably, laughing inappropriately at all the wrong parts.

P.S. Grumpy Bear is of course the favorite of both Care Bears fans and Care Bears haters alike. Perpetually in a foul mood and looking like he would rather be somewhere else, he is perhaps the embodiment of what many parents probably felt being subject to such sickeningly cute drivel. He was definitely a kindred spirit to me whenever I watched this film as a child.

5 out of 10 stars for this one. Mostly because despite the poor storytelling and overbearing cuteness, there was a good moral and Grumpy Bear was there for me when I really needed him.

For ages 11 and under

[TheOneThatYouWanted · 6/10 · 22 August 2017]

Like I was saying in another review, I saw this film on a list for best animated films of the 80s. This film definitely has a targeted audience which is youngsters under 10. I'm guessing adults like it for nostalgic reasons. The film has a good message behind it, good animation and whatever but you really should not watch this unless you are a kid. And here is something I don't get. The care bears have a power beam that shoots out of their chest called "the care bear stare" but they literally have their eyes closed while doing it so why is it called a stare? Whatever. This review is finished. 6/10 factoring in age demographic.

There are so many better and less annoying kids films out there

[planktonrules · 1/10 · 14 July 2006]

Call me a curmudgeon, but I absolutely hate the Care Bears and wish they had never been created. They are, without a doubt, the most saccharine and bland characters created in the last 30 years. So sweet, so nice that you really wish that there was a movie that paired them with Itchy and Scratchy!!! Now I am not really saying I want the really little kids out there to see ultra-violent films, but there gets to be a point when a film is so non-offensive and sweet that it nearly puts the viewers in a diabetic coma! This means, parents, that if you are suckered into watching this with your kids, you are in for a trip to Hades! I just can't see how any sane adult could stand watching these horrid creatures for more than about 20 seconds.

On top of these complaints, the animation quality is poor and the script is so mindless and insipid that ANYTHING must be better for the kids to watch. This stuff makes the Teletubbies look edgy!

Give the Bears some credit already!

[La Gremlin · 9/10 · 19 July 2000]

Mention the Care Bears and for some reason everyone starts to cringe or think of nasty things to do to them. I have to say it breaks my heart that so many people are against a cartoon that teaches kids about empathy, friendship, and conflict resolution (and all without fighting).

I recently had the pleasure of acquiring a copy of this movie, and I, for one, am going to treasure it. I'm serious. Watch it with a little kid who takes the Power Rangers too seriously. I guarantee you'll be a little misty eyed by the end, and the kid will discover the revolutionary idea that it's not against the rules to befriend the monster instead of battling it.

I know I won't have a lot of people backing me up here, but I thought I should put my two cents in. And anyhow, Grumpy Bear is too cute.

First movie to scare me as a kid

[RRingGo · 7/10 · 5 March 2000]

This is a film that even now I have fond memories of, and can apreciate as a classic. The animation is not superb, and neigther is the story. However, it is strangely aplicable as a social commentary about American society. The story, although almsot laughable, is quite fun to enjoy. The cast of characters seems almost a marketing sceme of the mid-80's, but what children's TV program can claim not to be such? If for no other reason sit back enjoy the silliness, and just care.

The crew of this film should be mauled by Angry Bear

[anna-42 · 1/10 · 29 May 1999]

I care! I care! I care... wait a minute, I don't care, and neither should you. What's the point of brainwashing a bunch of kids to care? To sell toys? It would have been a lot better if at the sugar-coated climax of this animated kid's classic, instead of projecting all that caring, the care bears projectile vomited in the same manner as the viewers--in horror at what the kids of '85 were being spoon fed. The only redeeming value of the film is the high level of realism and social commentary that portrays an America torn apart by violence, class warfare, predjudice, and Hi-C. Share Bear, Birthday Bear... how 'bout Disgusted Bear. Please don't subject your children to this piece of un-Carefully illustrated nonsense. Take them to the park instead.

awww

[gymnastk8 · 10/10 · 7 July 2001]

this is the sweetest little movie...the dialogue is a little cheesy, but you have to understand it was made in the 80s and geared for little kids. the bears are so cute, and there are some parts that will make you laugh, and if your especially sensitive, you might even tear up at some parts. the second movie is good too, but theres a little too much darkness in it, with the evil boy at camp and everything. the first movie is all fun, and very little scary-ness. its also when you first meet the care bear cousins, which are a bunch of jungle animals and at the end they all get their little tummy-pictures. its a really great movie to rent when your in a happy mood. :-)

Sweet-tooth special

[Tracy_Terry_Moore · 6/10 · 13 May 2009]

Colorful albeit syrupy story of a collection of sweet-as-punch bears who visit Earth via their 'Rainbow Rescue Beam' (Earth apparently needs to be 'rescued' from something) in order to deliver their feelings of love and friendship on unsuspecting humans.

Movie purports itself to be about sharing and caring but there are undertones of satanism and witchcraft as a book spirit tries to get earthling children to reject the advances of the loving bear race. The best thing about this film may be the vast array of colors in the animation; the 'love and sharing' aspects become somewhat weary after the first half-hour.

A Nelvana production.

The Care Bears should be mulated by the kids from South Park

[Jedi2 · 1/10 · 31 December 1999]

Lets face it folks, how un-original can you be? Little Bears that live up in the clouds that come down to help those who have stopped caring? Now lets send these Bears down to "South Park" and watch and see what will happen. Or to put it one way, "Look out Ned they're coming right for us."

Something that this generation of children is missing... compassion.

[markiechan42 · 20 November 2004]

Let's face it - the world has grown into a rather unpleasant place, and the recent generations of children are more jaded than any I or my mother have ever seen. Toys are over-priced, uninventive and children get bored with them in a matter of days. Children's movies today are much the same, getting shorter and shorter every movie and teaching children nothing.

If anyone with children or younger siblings has ever had to suffer through current children's programming, you'll see what I mean. They're reverse-educational; a young child pointed at the Teletubbies sun and said "Baby," and then pointed at the real sun and said "Baby." Blues Clues teaches children to shout(trust me on this one,) and shows such as 'the Wiggles' remind me far too much of PeeWee Herman (the worst "children's" show of all time.)

So rewind TV - go back to 80's cartoons. Even though Care Bears were originally piloted to advertise the toys, the show evolved into something NICE. The animation was far from spectacular, especially when compared to today's computer animation, and the story lines WERE simple. But it had something to offer children that 99% of new cartoons don't offer - examples of non-violent resolutions to conflicts, sharing thoughts and items with others, being open about your feelings, caring about yourself and others. These 80's cartoons encouraged children to not be jaded, selfish and rotten brats. (And if you don't believe me that today's violence-fed kids are brats, just go to my sister's elementary school - I've NEVER seen so many 5th graders dressed like whores in my life.)

Storyline and morality aside, you should also pay attention to the music. Following the habits of 80's cartoons and movies, there are numerous song and dance numbers randomly inserted into conversation. But they are certainly striking in the boldness of them. And by this I mean the harmonies. Cue up the song "Home Is In Your Heart" on your movie or cd and just listen. The harmonies running through the song feel as though they should clash against each other and explode, but they just miss that clashing point and somehow manage to work very well. You can distinctly hear the SATB lines, and how soprano and tenor carry a lot of the melody and the base and alto are used to interesting harmonies. Just listen. The music was really well written.

Long story short, let your children watch movies like this, and if you feel that they didn't learn anything from it, discuss the movie with them. 6.5/10

Pure treacle.

[Chrissie · 2/10 · 19 January 2001]

Not recommended for diabetics or anybody over the age of four.

This sickly-sweet, cloying piece of tripe has all the depth and feeling of a third-rate greeting card. If your kid insists on seeing it (I presume at a friend's house, since you will have better taste than to bring this into your home), there's no harm in it. There's just nothing to gain but smarmy platitudes the kid should be learning from you anyway.

Does not deserve a G rating.

[RepublicofE · 2/10 · 14 June 2013]

Let me start out by saying that when I was a little kid my parents were very careful to keep me and my sister from being exposed to anything remotely related to witchcraft. They wouldn't even let us watch Pokemon or read Harry Potter. So I have no idea why they got this movie for us on VHS.

First off, if you are a Christian, do not let your kids see this movie. The main idea of this movie is essentially that the way to get rid of an evil spirit is just to "care" enough, which is obviously not what the Bible teaches.

Second, even if your family isn't religious, your kids have no business watching this movie. Either they will be creeped out by it, in which case they are too young (like I said, the "G" rating is complete bullis**t), or they will not be creeped out by it, in which case they are too old or too mature to be wasting their time on this mindless drivel.

Not only this movie, but the entire Care Bears franchise is an insult to any one who has suffered at all in life. Don't let your kids watch the care bears movie or the TV show. Buying them the toys or the greeting cards is fine, but keep them away from the animated series. Care Bears has no educational or moral value. The whole theme of the entire Care Bears franchise is that all your problems will just go away if only you and your friends just "Care" enough. American Greetings, if you're reading this, than all I have to say to you is try telling that to the the little kid who just lost a friend to cancer, or the kid who's dog just got put to sleep.

There are some who would defend this movie as being just harmless fun even if they do acknowledge that it doesn't have a very strong moral foundation. To that I say, first of all, anyone over age 4 will be bored to tears over this intelligence-insulting movie. It is not fun, and as for me, I have no fond nostalgic memories of the Care Bears series. Second, little kids need to be learning how to be effectively dealing with the problems life throws their way, and learning that "Caring" isn't always enough. They also need to learn the harsh realities of life, like the fact that holding hands and standing in a circle with your friends shouting "We Care!" over and over again will not bring your dead grandmother back.

Have your kids watch Arthur instead. It's fit for all ages, doesn't condescend to children, and is willing to confront the every day struggles and suffering that all kids go through.

care bears

[iraklis28 · 10/10 · 16 March 2006]

It's a great film cause it hasn't got too much violence as other new cartoons do, and it bring back memory's to grownups of there childhood days. the songs are great, especially the main song which i think is called care-a-lot which is what's it about, and it truly gets you in the heart where it's suppose to.

it proves that the 80's cartoons were better than todays cartoons made by Japanese, cause they always like killing and fighting, but this animated film show we shouldn't kill or hate each other in the world but care for each other by being friends and sharing and caring and even helping each other have a great life with happiness around us.

Not terrible for its kind

[ericstevenson · 5/10 · 5 July 2017]

I guess I'm right in the middle for this one, because it seems to at least represent the Care Bears franchise well. I think I may have been a fan of this when I was really little, but I've mostly just forgotten about it. I'll give the series credit for being better than something like Barney. It does have more of a plot and characters. I actually found the animation in this to be pretty good. It does seem to vary in some areas. It's like different animators worked on it. So this movie's plot is that a guy named Mr. Cherrywood is telling the story about how a kid named Nicolaus found an evil magic book and became good with help from the Care Bears.

Yeah, it's pretty dopey, but if you do have little kids who are fans of the series, then honestly, I think you can probably show it to them. It's just nothing too memorable. It does get rather silly at the end when Nicolaus has this evil voice. It did entertain me with how it was trying to be serious with this silly design. The plot's pretty dumb. It features one of the kids being given a key he has to keep safe. In the end, the villain destroys it...only for another key to be easily made. Uh, what was the point of that? This introduces the Care Bear cousins which at least expands onto the mythology a bit. **

Please, parents everywhere, show Care Bears to your children, not Pokemon.

[Bird Of Phoenix · 10/10 · 14 July 2001]

In my opinion, this movie and Care Bears Movie 2 are the best films I am ever going to watch. Care Bears were there all the way through my childhood. I am 16 and I am still watching these two cute movies. I can't help it. I think this movie could teach anyone a lesson, no matter what age.

Care Bears is a film about Morality teaching young kids to share, love and about friendship, unlike Pokemon which provokes the young population to fight and steal each others Pokemon cards.

This movie is full of beautiful and catchy songs, but I prefer the 2nd movies sound track. I will never get bored of this movie, and I will watch it till this old tape of mine screws up from old age (where I will be VERY upset). This movie will bring you songs which will never get out of your head, these songs have been in my head all my life and I have had a happy life so far.

You may think that Care Bears have no effect on your child, but I grew up with it. Now im a vegetarian, a volunteer for the RSPCA and a success at school. Im extremely bubbly and kind hearted and hate to hurt people. You decide.

Please, parents everywhere, show Care Bears to your children, not Pokemon.

What a children's film really is supposed to be

[Lady Jasmine · 5 February 2002]

Yes it's sweet. Of course it is, it's meant for kids! Little ones, but as a 20 year old I still love this film. In fact I was only just able to a watch it again, because I kept remembering how much the evil spirit terrified me as a child. Compare the Bears, who actually teach their young viewers something worthwhile: that if you care about the people around you the world will be a better place, to some of the cartoons we subject our kids to today like South Park with it's crude animation and message that the way to deal with things is violence and swearing. I would choose the Bears every time. Parents: have the decency to allow your kids to watch a good cartoon, you might learn something too.

Cute but sometimes scary

[Cylex · 8/10 · 29 September 2001]

Ahhhhhh! This is really cute, especially the cousins. Its message is subtle and not laid too thick. The evil spirit is really scary. Her voice drips with pure poison and you have to admit that the world would be terrible if nobody cared. The good characters have plenty of charm and personality. They're not cloying. You really care about what happens to them and that's what makes a good movie. 8/10

Nobody Cares Like A Bear

[jeremycrimsonfox · 10/10 · 13 August 2019]

This movie gets way too much hate nowadays. Yes, this movie may be a bit silly, but it was meant to be aimed at kids due to the purpose being to sell toys, just like every other cartoon airing in the 1980's. But it has a deeper meaning.

In this movie, Mr. Cherrywood, voiced by the late Mickey Rooney, tells orphans a bedtime story about two siblings, Kim and Jason, who are helped by the Care Bears. However, Nicholas, a magician's assistant, meets an evil spirit in a book of spells, and casts a spell causing the kids to fight, Care-A-Lot, the home of the Care Bears, is in danger of being destroyed. Now, the bears must restore caring to the world. Also, Kim, Jason, and two of the bears are warped to the Forest of Feelings, where they meet Brave Heart Lion and his friends.

This is actually a great film. In a time when Power Rangers and other shows have fighting as the only solution to solve a problem, the Care Bears do things differently. The story is good, and the characters are likable. It's a great movie for anyone of any age.

Growing Up

[sweetvalleygirl16 · 8 May 2004]

Wow. It really saddens me to hear people going on about how evil the care bears are and how they should be tortured and how bad they are for children. I grew up with the care bears. I used to watch the movie and then rewind it and watch it again. I saw it for the first time when I was 3. Scared me something shocking. (This may be a spoiler) But everything in the movie turned out alright in the end. Good triumphed over evil, love triumphed over all. Sure it may be corny, but life is nothing if you don't have hope.

I'm 18 years old and I watch my 3 care bear movies regularly. I take my Wish Bear to bed every night. Each morning I get up at 6:30 before school (I'm in year 12) and I watch Lizzie McGuire. My lunch is packed in a barbie lunch box and my pencils are carried in a Care Bears case. I'm not retarded, I don't have a mental disease. But I'm an exception. I don't drink. I don't smoke. I don't have sex.

I believe that a lot of the way I am is due to the Care Bears. I'm a compassionate person, I care about everyone, even when they don't care about me. You may think that makes me a walking doormat, but it doesn't. The values of the Care Bears were drilled into me at a young age. My mother would get frustrated after she sent me off to kindergarten because I'd share my play lunch, and not have much for myself.

The people that say the Care Bears are evil obviously didn't grow up with them. I feel sorry for them. The cartoons nowadays such as South Park, Ren and Stimpy etc, are based on violence. That is not something we want to be teaching our children in a world that is full of terrorism, suicide and violence. They teach that fighting is the way to go to gain power (Pokemon). The Care Bears movie teaches valuable lessons, without beating people over the head. It also teaches the difference between right and wrong and instills moral values. Sure the language can be a bit syrupy at times and I guess it may be one of those things you either love or hate.

From the day I was born I've been surrounded by Care Bears (I was prem and a small Tenderheart Bear was the only thing that would fit into my humidity crib)and I honestly thank my parents for that. I know that when I have children, I'll bring them up with the Care Bears, and not other cartoons because I'd much rather have my child tell me they love me than attempt to shoot at me with a cap gun.

So in conclusion I am grateful to the Care Bears for the fact that I remember my weekends, my positive spin on life and for who I am today.

loved this movie...

[fire_n_ice01689 · 9/10 · 19 January 2011]

I was a massive fan of this movie as a child, and a VHS copy of it has graced our living room shelf as long as I can remember. I definitely plan to add a DVD copy to my collection when I have kids.. it's cheerful brand of moral teachings is something that kids these days seem to be missing out on.. the new episodes and movies just aren't as good! I actually pulled my copy out the other day when I was sorting through my childhood videos and books... and watched it. I've always been a great lover of Nelvana animations, but to my horror, I found an error! When the evil spirit is attacking Kim and Jason at the bottom of the cliff, and friend and secret bear are using the stare to hold him off... the others stare from around the corner on the boat, and as the boat comes into view, who should be at the helm of the boat? why Tenderheart should! but he isn't... friend bear is! despite not even being on the boat, but on the cliff face with secret bear. Major oops! I was amazed I'd never noticed it before.