Yogi Bear (2010)

Confession: I had a Yogi Bear lunchbox as a child. I loved that tie-wearing bear and his little depressed pal, Boo-Boo. So I’m pleased to say the live-action/CGI hybrid that is the “Yogi Bear” movie is better than any most recent talking cartoon animal movie has a right to be. Of course, these are low standards. “Marmaduke” hurt. I hated “Garfield.” This is cornball fun. Here, pic-a-nic basket thieving Yogi and Boo-Boo must help Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh in the flesh) save Jellystone Park from a self-serving mayor (Ayn Rand-follower perhaps?) with his eyes on higher office. The plot is lame. The CGI solid. Dan Aykroyd (Yogi) and Justin Timberlake (Boo-Boo) nail the characters’ voices. Timberlake has great one liners on the First Grade Scale of Humor. The jokes are scatological, but most are of the pie-in-the-face variety. Not bad. C+