23 Years Later, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean Follow-Up Remains 1 of the Saddest Cinematic Flops

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Nearly everyone is familiar with “Pirates of the Caribbean“. This nautical-themed adventure series is one of Disney’s biggest financial successes, and it’s arguably the most well-liked of their films spun off from theme park attractions. Yet, it’s not the only instance where Disney tried to cash in on its intellectual properties. A year before Johnny Depp won hearts with his swashbuckling comedy performance, Disney released one of its strangest and unintentionally terrifying flops: a movie titled “Escape to Witch Mountain” (1975), based on the same-named Disneyland attraction.

Similar to how the movie “Pirates” originated from a Disney ride, so does “The Country Bears”. However, unlike its more successful sequel, “The Country Bears” suffered an astounding loss of $17 million. Despite efforts by Peter Hastings, who later worked on “Kung Fu Panda”, this film was still a commercial and critical failure. Even today, it remains a notable flop.

One could say that the story behind “The Country Bears” offers a captivating peek into Disney’s past. As a film from the early 2000s, it is one of many average productions born out of internal turmoil. Instead of touching hearts, this formulaic attempt at a heartwarming family comedy almost missed the mark entirely.

One of the most puzzling aspects of this movie’s production is its approval process. “The Country Bear” was widely criticized at every turn. It seems unlikely that it should have been made in the first place. Yet, somehow, this intriguing example of the uncanny valley was given the green light.

Disney’s The Country Bears Brought Another Popular Ride to the Silver Screen

  • Each bear was a full-body suit with a designated performer.
  • Footage of The Country Bears was shot in both California and Tennessee.
  • The film’s furry leads were provided by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

From a storytelling perspective, “The Country Bears” delves into a predictable and superficial examination of familial ties. The main character, Beary Barrington (portrayed by Haley Joel Osment), is a cheerful young bear who enjoys a carefree life. However, this idyllic existence is abruptly disrupted when his elder brother, Dex (Eli Marienthal), reveals a shocking truth: Beary is connected to the legendary Country Bears band in an unexpected way. In a manner reminiscent of “Stuart Little”, it appears that Beary has roots with the missing Country Bears group.

For the remainder of the 88-minute movie, Beary’s journey across the country is detailed. Not long after setting off, he discovers that Reed Thimple (Christopher Walken) intends to purchase and destroy the old Country Bear Hall. To preserve his legacy, Beary embarks on a mission to reassemble the quirky bear troupe and organize a charity concert. He joins forces with the band’s lone human member, Roadie (M. C. Gainey), who used to be their drummer and bus driver in the past.

Essentially, they need to get back together because since their contentious breakup, each band member has ventured into different paths. For instance, the lead vocalist Ted Bedderhead (Diedrich Baker) now earns well as a wedding singer. The former one-string guitarist Tennessee O’Neal (Toby Huss) is a wedding counselor these days. There’s also an intriguing financial dilemma involving Zeb Zoober (Stephen Root), the fiddler, who has turned into something like an alcoholic bear – a beekeeper with a honey addiction.

As a devoted admirer, it’s no surprise that, being a Disney production, the story concludes with joy and resolution. Somehow, Beary and Roadie manage to bring everyone together again. In a rush, we return to Country Bear Hall, arriving just in time for a triumphant comeback performance. The rest of the tale sees Beary spending quality time with his loved ones, while a promise of revenge keeps the door open for a potential sequel.

The Country Bears Was a Massive Commercial Flop

  • Elton John has a cameo in the film, wherein he is mistakenly identified as the group’s former gardener.
  • Guitarist Brian Setzer has a cameo role as a band leader during the “battle of the bands” sequence.
  • In addition to a brief in-universe documentary part, Queen Latifah appears as Cha Cha, the manager of the Swarming Hive Honey Bar.

It seems that The Country Bears movie didn’t quite hit the mark. Generally speaking, it’s a typical family film that doesn’t strive for much more. Regrettably, its underwhelming box office success stands in sharp contrast to its upbeat conclusion. Unfortunately, the bear characters failed to resonate with many viewers. A possible explanation might be their design. Despite the Henson team’s best attempts, some found the bears rather unappealing. Their realistic eyes and wide mouths often create an uncanny valley effect, reminiscent of the frightening animatronics from Five Nights at Freddy’s.

Disney should have realized from a distance that the movie, The Country Bears, wouldn’t succeed. It all started as a passing idea in Brigham Taylor’s mind during a family vacation. After experiencing the Country Bears Jamboree, Taylor had an odd thought: “This would be great for a family film!” (As we now know, it wasn’t.) Despite many dismissing the idea, Taylor was convinced that this offbeat notion was Disney’s next big success.

He shared his idea with as many people as possible. Most reacted with a moderate level of doubt. Despite its quaint appeal, Country Bear Jamboree is essentially just a minor amusement. Just a few individuals, among them Nina Jacobsen from Buena Vista, believed that the project would succeed. In the end, the film’s affordable budget and straightforward production plan convinced company chairman Peter Schneider to expedite its development.

It’s possible that the puzzling nature of this film is due to the turmoil within Disney at the time. Only eight years prior, their beloved president and COO Frank G. Wells passed away in a helicopter accident. This event sparked internal power struggles, causing chaos within the media giant. In their rush to produce the next big success, Disney’s leadership made some unusual decisions. The Country Bears was one of these, as it was part of Disney’s attempt to reinvent itself during this time. With a writers’ strike approaching and a flood of mediocre ride-tie in films being churned out from the studios, things got a bit… eccentric at Disney.

A Legacy of Head-Scratching Films

  • All of the ursine band members have different singing voices.
  • The Country Bears is Christopher Walken’s first Disney role.
  • The film also utilized high-tech animatronic bears for some sequences.

Indeed, The Country Bears was part of Disney’s efforts to establish a film universe centered around their theme parks. Three years following COO Wells’ demise, they introduced Tower of Terror – a TV special based on the famous drop tower attraction. This wasn’t the last attempt at successful cinema, either.

In 2000, audiences worldwide had to witness “Mission to Mars”. Despite Brian De Palma’s impressive visual skills, the science fiction adventure left a disappointing mark on his career. Years later, the theme park spin-off film was followed by “Tomorrowland”. Similar criticisms were leveled at “Mission to Mars” as at “The Country Bears”. The plot is unfocused, the humor lacks depth, and its audience appeal is limited.

Despite a brief resurgence following The Country Bears and the success of Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney’s subsequent ventures have not fared as well. Eddie Murphy’s Haunted Mansion was a moderate box office hit, but Jungle Cruise struggled to recoup its substantial costs and the remake of Murphy’s family-friendly horror film underperformed. In essence, Disney has faced challenges following these projects.

There might be a valuable lesson hidden in this situation. It could be that some ideas simply don’t work, even when it appears that Disney is adamant they will succeed. For instance, while the reboot of Pirates of the Caribbean might have done alright, other ride-related projects like Jungle Cruise and Big Thunder Mountain appear to face similar struggles. The initial failure of Jungle Cruise makes a sequel seem like an overly ambitious attempt to construct an empire on ruins.

It’s important to note that just because they might not be guaranteed successes, it doesn’t mean these films will be miraculous. There’s a slight possibility that these movies could buck the trend and become the next “Pirates of the Caribbean”. However, based on most measures, these films are more likely to end up as flops similar to “The Country Bears”.

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2025-04-19 20:08