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Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation is an animated film produced by Canadian animation studio Nelvana Limited. It was released in the United States in March 1986 by Columbia Pictures, and was the second film based on the Care Bears toy line. It was directed by Dale Schott, written by Peter Sauder, and produced by Nelvana's three founders (Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith). It starred the voices of Alyson Court, Cree Summer and Maxine Miller.

The film was commercially marketed as a sequel to The Care Bears Movie, and did not serve as a prequel to this predecessor as many have come to believe, but to the Nelvana television series that would soon air on the ABC network the following September. It recounts the origins of the Care Bear Family, and tells of the Care Bears' first Caring Mission.

Synopsis

Main article: Plot of Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation

True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse must save the Kingdom of Caring from the evil doings of a demon villain named Dark Heart. This shape-shifter gives a desperate girl named Christy the chance to be champ of her summer camp. While this alliance forms between Christy and Dark Heart, the Care Bear tries to save her friends, Dawn and John, from Dark Heart. During the Bears' first Caring Mission, they and the campers put an end to his wicked deeds.

The Great Wishing Star (voiced by Chris Wiggins) narrates most of the movie. When the story starts, he gives True Heart and Noble Heart their tummy symbols, and also the responsibility to care for everyone on Earth.

Box office and home video

On its initial release, A New Generation earned $8.5 million in the United States—almost a third of its predecessor's ticket sales. After a March 7th limited-release debut,^[1] it opened in wide release two weeks later, coming in at seventh place with $2.5 million. ^[2] Over the next two weekends it earned little more than $1 million in 12th place, before disappearing unexpectedly from the box-office charts.^{[3] [4]}

The movie was released on home video and Beta by RCA/Columbia Pictures in 1987. It was rereleased as part of the Columbia Tristar Family Collection on June 28, 1993, and again on August 13, 1996.^[5] It premiered on DVD on April 8, 2003.

Awards and nominations

A New Generation's only nomination was for Worst Movie of 1986 by the Hastings Bad Cinema Society.^[6] Along with Band of the Hand, Shanghai Surprise and Under the Cherry Moon, it lost to George Lucas' box-office bomb Howard the Duck.

Continuity problems and mistakes

In this movie, the orphan Bears receive their tummy symbols and, going into their first Caring Mission, remain with them as they are fully grown. Contrary to what happened in the previous installment, the Cousin Cubs receive their tummy symbols along with the Bears. (Even Baby Proud Heart Cat's symbol can be seen, at the start of the film, while Loyal Heart Dog bothers her a little; she has yet to receive it as the "Flying My Colours" number starts.) The grown-up Cousins, in the first movie, receive their symbols after Tenderheart Bear introduces them into the Care Bear Family.^[7]

Often regarded as a mistake, during the musical montage "Growing Up", the Care Bear Family grows up at a rate that is extremely unusual for mammals. However, the Wishing Star alludes to the fact that the Cubs were moved to locations where they would grow within a "twinkling of the eye", implying that the rate of growth is influenced by the magic of the lands.

Another mistake involves the Star Buddy (yellow) and the Heart Buddy (red) switching colours in one scene early in the film, after the Caring Meter at the Kingdom of Caring tolls to alert Noble Heart of a villain.

There is a problem in the scene where John, Dawn, and Christy invade Darkheart's lair. After Darkheart traps the bears in his lair, he closes the portal, thus hiding it and blocking it off from the rest of the world. Since Darkheart is the only one to be able to open and close the portal, it's not possible for John, Dawn, and Christy to get in the lair at all.

Comparisions with The Care Bears Movie

The first Care Bears Movie serves as an origin story for the creation of the Care Bear Cousins and how they joined the Care Bears. At first, the Bears and Cousins know nothing about each other, until both groups meet up for the first time at the Forest of Feelings, in the middle of the film. Noble Heart and True Heart are not present in this installment, because they were not yet created in the toy line.

In the second movie, all of the Care Bear Cubs grow up together and receive their tummy symbols at the same time, thanks to True Heart and Noble Heart. There is no hint at the possibility of the Care Bears and the Care Bear Cousins forgetting about each other if there was a linking time span between the first and second movie. This serves true for the Cousins losing their symbols, and Noble Heart and True Heart simply not existing. This movie is probably the origin story intended for the Care Bears, considering that it coincides with the TV series.

In both movies, the Care Bear Cousins have blank stomachs before they are given their symbols.

Because of Noble Heart and True Heart, A New Generation can be considered a prequel to the series. Also, in the episode that explains the appearance of Perfect & Polite Panda, True Heart alludes back to what happened in A New Generation, while she tries to explain how the pandas were lost. (Noble Heart took both pandas away from the Care Bear Family and sent them into Paradise Valley.)

Soundtrack

The soundtrack album to A New Generation was released in LP format by Kid Stuff Records.^[8] This featured all of the film's six songs, which were written by Los Angeles musicians, Dean and Carol Parks:

Notes

Of noteworthy interest, a DiC-produced episode in the Care Bears television series took place at a summer camp as well. However, A New Generation is not based on, nor does it feature the human characters from, that same episode.

The sequel does not feature Grams Bear (the mother of the entire Care Bear Family) or her grandchildren, Baby Hugs and Baby Tugs. A Care Bears comic book issue from Marvel's Star label explains how they came into the Kingdom of Caring.^[9]

This is the first of two Care Bear movies to feature Harmony Bear as one of its characters; she also appeared in 2005's Big Wish Movie. Her second—and last—appearance in Nelvana's animated franchise of the 1980s was in the series' "Great Race" episode.

The film made its first cable appearance on the Disney Channel on Saturday, April 25, 1987.

Voice cast

(in order of appearance)

• Maxine Miller as True Heart Bear
• Pam Hyatt as Noble Heart Horse
• Hadley Kay as Dark Heart / "The Boy"
• Chris Wiggins as Great Wishing Star
• Patricia Black as Funshine Bear / Share Bear
• Janet-Laine Green as Wish Bear
• Jim Henshaw as Bright Heart Raccoon
• Melleny Brown as Cheer Bear
• Bob Dermer as Grumpy Bear
• Sunny Besen Thrasher as Camp Champ
• Michael Fantini as John
• Cree Summer as Christy
• Alyson Court as Dawn
• Dan Hennessey as Brave Heart Lion
• Nonnie Griffin as Harmony Bear
• Billie Mae Richards as Tenderheart Bear
• Eva Almos as Friend Bear
• Marla Lukofsky as Playful Heart Monkey
• Gloria Figura as Bedtime Bear

References

See also

• The Care Bears Movie
• Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer
• My Little Pony: The Movie

External links