Two Brothers 2004

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: An enjoyable, Kipling-esque adventure. Read more

Peter Debruge, Miami Herald: Two Brothers is the kind of movie that makes me optimistic for the future of family films. Read more

Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune: There's something simple yet miraculous about watching these beautiful animals interact with the wild and each other, even if their actions are being manipulated for the sake of drama. Read more

Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times: Impeccably well-crafted, kid-friendly and downright cuddly. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: A beautiful film, but it's also a troubled one. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: ... one of the most amazing animal adventure fables ever captured on film. Read more

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: A terrific family film. Read more

Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: Anyone older than 12 can figure out what's going to happen, but the movie still packs an emotional punch that will keep adults entertained as much as the young ones. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: The Bear was a little too cutesy for my taste, but director Jean-Jacques Annaud gets the tone right this time. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: If you're familiar with [Annaud's] previous work you can accurately guess this venture's strengths and weaknesses. Read more

Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle: Two Brothers is an odd crossbreed: documentary-style nature film, broad comedy, environmental sermon and Disney wannabe. But the awesome aww-power of its irresistible tiger cubs smooths its unevenness. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Annaud and his deft production team create believable dramatic characters without compromising the dignity of the animals they've borrowed as stars. Read more

Alan Niester, Globe and Mail: The kind of movie that kids used to flock to on Saturday afternoons in the forties and fifties. Read more

Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News: The story never reaches the heart-pounding heights that Mr. Annaud so obviously intended, but there is both sentiment and fun along the way, and the feline brethren move with expected grace and majesty. Read more

Walter Chaw, L.A. Weekly: Speaks eloquently to old-fashioned ideas of love, loyalty and decency. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Virtuoso examples of manipulative editing and fabricated narrative. Read more

Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger: Two Brothers isn't a sequel to the 1988 nature hit The Bear, yet it feels like one. It suffers from the lack of inspiration that plagues many second chapters, and it attempts to broaden the original concept to diminished effect. Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: Although special effects and careful editing pitch in, the wild-kingdom authenticity on display is an astonishing achievement. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: This is a family movie on a grand scale, enhanced by lush cinematography and throbbing music, with a minimum of dialogue and an endless assortment of thrills. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: A family-friendly movie made for the same audience that likes to imagine talking animals. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: Brothers can't avoid the sappy Disney touches -- even though it comes from Universal. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: There is a lot in Two Brothers I admire. Families will not go wrong in attending this film. Some kids will think it's one of the best movies they've seen. My objections are of a sort that won't occur, I realize, to many of the viewers. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: Noteworthy because it represents a kind of fevered moviemaking insanity that we rarely see these days. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: It's an unabashed feel-good film, but a surprisingly intelligent one that honestly earns each smile and every tender moment. Read more

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: The movie can be taken as quality children's entertainment ... But the film offers much more than that. Read more

Time Out: Read more

Mike Clark, USA Today: It's either a children's movie for adults or an adult movie for children, with scenes to dazzle kids and others that could make them fidgety, though never to 'I wanna go hoooomme' extremes. Read more

Derek Elley, Variety: Charms when the quadripeds stalk the action but creaks when the bipeds open their mouths. Read more

David Ng, Village Voice: Returning to the territory of his 1989 hit The Bear, Jean-Jacques Annaud delivers another refreshingly mature fable of bestial devotion. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: I would have gladly volunteered to lead all the tigers participating in this movie directly into the wilds, just to stop them 'acting' in this slow-moving, heavy-handed drama. Read more