Care Bears Movie 2: A New Generation [DVD] [1986] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

I am 25 years old, and I've never stopped loving this movie! I never owned it as a kid, but my cousins loaned it to me and my sisters (we finally gave it back after a couple of years), and now that I have an 18-month old daughter of my own, I want her to get to know the magic of this awesome movie, too! The Care Bears are so cool (everything I wished I could be), and I love how their powers come from their love for everyone. The Care Bears are so contagious, even Dark Heart couldn't resist anymore! All of the songs are so cute, and I still remember all the words (in fact, I still have my audio cassette soundtrack). The song "Forever Young" is my favorite. This movie will never get old, and either will the Care Bears (I still sleep with my Bedtime Bear!). Okay, that was probably more than you wanted to know. Anyway, you have to get this movie. For your kids, for yourself. If you're looking for a video that is chock-full of values, love, caring, acceptance, and forgiveness (which, unfortunately, is kinda rare these days), then you need to add this one to your video library.

I had been searching for this film in local stores for a long time and finally found it the other day and bought it! It's still great after all these years! However, I still fail to understand how Dark Heart could almost drown?!!! I mean, he was a sea serpent at the beginning, and his true form seems to be a cloud of evil. But who cares, this is pure '80's sugar and great fun! If you loved the first one, you'll probably love this one just as much.
Three kids at a summer camp are tired of being last in everything. Two of the kids get a visit from the Care Bears, while the third gets a visit from Dark Heart, making a deal to be Camp Champ, but in exchange for what? Classic good vs. Evil. Could Dark Heart be the Devil? The film shows the babyhood of the Care Bears and Care Bear cousins, and seems to cancel out some of the facts from the original movie. In the original, the Bears seemed to be meeting the Cousins for the first time, but in this sequel...er...prequel, they were babies together. And in this second film we see the original Care Bear and Care Bear Cousin, True Heart and Noble Heart who are both mysteriously absent from the original film. Oh well, maybe this is the Care Bears in a parallel dimension. If you watch the films seperately it's fine, but one after the other might confuse you.
Care Bears Movie 2 has a strange narrator by the way. A huge star. No, not a movie star, and not the sun, just a huge star who guides the first Care Bear and Care Bear Cousin, along with the Cubs, to a Care A Lot type place (before they split the cubs up, sending half to Care A Lot and half to the Forrest of Feelings). Who knows where they came from though. The opening is much like the opening to Santa Claus, the Movie, where they are shown their new home, and are led into a new life of watching over the children of the world, making sure they all "care." It's all kinda New Agey now that I think about it, but very cute and great for boosting toy sales. A highlight for me was always the fact that Tenderheart's voice was noneother than whoever it was that voiced Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. This sequel, or prequel I guess, is not quite as good as the original, but almost, and just as entertaining. The villain is not as scary, but pretty darn evil and does some really devil-like, in personality that is, not necessarily appearance. Like the first, this film teaches some great lessons and is pure sweetness and fun. It's great for anyone like me, a 26 year old, straight, male, cartoon lover who enjoys flashbacks to his childhood, or just the average kid who needs something to watch and likes cartoons!

Before I review this film, I decided to answer the question so many reviewers have posted on Amazon in the past. The question is: How is it possible to have only met the Care Bear Cousins in the first movie and end up knowing them all along in the sequel? The answer couldn't be simpler. The Second full length Care Bears movie is entitled: The Care Bears Move II: A New Generation. This means it is an entirely different world.

I am not ashamed to admit that I am a 21-year-old male who is a fan of these `80s's pop culture icons. Most boys I grew up with like myself watched the show along with all the cool stuff the `80's had to offer and we all had at least one doll. I was the proud owner of Champ Bear thank you very much. The second movie is a very interesting one now that I look back on it. After finding my old copy I realized this movie was a little extreme for young children. The villain is a demon and there are very serious situations that kids wouldn't understand like the scene where Dark Heart almost drowns. Yes even though he is a demon if you knock your self out you can drown. All and all the movie has a great easy to follow story, great sound track and leaves you with a positive attitude. It also has great action and proves that the Care Bears not only care about the well being of Earth's children, but they care about their own family just as much.

Still, I felt there were some very disappointing things about the second installment. 1) Even though we were introduced to a new Care Bear named Harmony (Dark purple with one red heart and two small pink hearts flanking it), did you ever notice that Treat Heart Pig was not in the movie at all? All you true fans should look very carefully she isn't there and she became one of the most popular characters in the last few seasons of the animated series. 2) Where are Grams Bear and Hugs and Tugs? They were all in the first movie, but if they were not in the second one, how did they end up Care -A- Lot? Think about it, Grams Bear should have been the first Care Bear instead of the other new characters True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse. 3) This is my biggest beef, barely any of the Care Bears actually played a part in this movie. Their names were mentioned, but none of them said anything! In the first movie every Care Bear has at least one line, but not all the Cousins. I was into the Care Bears just as much as Transformers and He-Man, but never in my life have I ever heard the voices of Loyal Heart Dog or Proud Heart Cat. They made appearances in both films, but not once did either say a single word. Oh yea and what's with the gender changes? Some were no big deal, but I'll tell you this...BIRTHDAY BEAR IS A DUDE! Anyway besides these issues, Care Bears II is a great buy for all ages. Whether young or old no one will be disappointed. Still, it would be cool to see a Care Bears III, one that could appeal to the old fans like me.