Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer

Martin Lawrence voices the grizzly bear, Boog (left), and Ashton Kutcher voices Elliot, a mule deer in the movie 'Open Season'.

As the animation industry keeps growing and growing and growing it seems it is getting harder and increasingly harder for animated flicks to differentiate themselves from each other. So, it is not surprising that though it is a rather entertaining movie, Open Season bears the marks of some of those that have come before it.

Fortunately for it, Open Season bears the marks of two of the best animation flicks in the last decade, Finding Nemo and Shrek. Even so, the flick has enough to stand on its own and deliver a tale full of laughs that is enhanced by crisp clean graphics.

Directed by Roger Allers, Jill Culton and Anthony Stacchi, Open Season is written by Steve Bencich and Ron J. Freidman. Essentially, Open Season is a buddy flick coupled so that Boog, played by Martin Lawrence, and Elliott, played by Ashton Kutcher make an odd ball couple.

Boog has been living the life of comfort since he was first rescued as a cub by a ranger who has mothered him. This means that he has no idea how to fish, fend for himself of even 'go' without a toilet (he must be a descendant of the Charmin bears).

His life of luxury suddenly changes however when the outcast, one antlered deer, Elliott, comes across his path and turns his life upside down. Boog then finds himself out in the big bad nature with Elliott as his only friend and open season coming upon them. The movie follows their attempts to get back to civilization, where Boog believes he really belongs.

Good team

Lawrence and Kutcher make a good team with Lawrence having the rare pleasure of not being the idiot in the pack, a role that Kutcher handles with great ease. Of course, as seems almost compulsory in animations these days, the flick also features renowned actors in the major roles, though it is not as shamelessly overstuffed with stars as flicks like Shark Tale have been.

Furthermore, the actors seem to be there more for talent than for the name and help to create enough quirky characters to keep the laughs going. Gary Sinise voices the role of the psychotic hunter Shaw while Debra Messing (Will and Grace) voices Beth, Boog's caretaker.

The characters also include feisty Latino skunks, French ducks (who have been traumatised since the great migration), cantankerous squirrels led by McSquizzy (voiced by Billy Connolly) who thinks he is braveheart reborn. There is also a porcupine with stalker tendencies (voiced by Matthew Taylor), and a buck suffering from testosterone overdose (voiced by Patrick Warbuton).

So, Open Season is not as good as it gets, but it is just about good enough. There is sufficient entertainment to keep adults and children entertained as the characters are engaging and the storyline is wholesome.