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5.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Just a Bear remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly? Only if you have a soft spot for 1930s slapstick that doesn't quite know what it wants to be. If you’re looking for a coherent story, you’re in the wrong place. But if you want to see people running in circles while a bear does absolutely nothing, pull up a chair.
The whole thing feels like it was put together in a basement while the writers were arguing about lunch. Andy Clyde is there, doing his usual thing, and he’s fine. But the bear? The bear looks like he’s just waiting for his handler to toss him a snack off-camera.
There's this moment where they're trying to set up the stakes, but the editing is so choppy it feels like I missed a whole reel. One minute they're strolling, the next they're shrieking at a guy in a fur suit. It reminded me a bit of the awkward pacing in The Hayseeds Come to Sydney, just with less scenery.
It’s barely a movie, really. It’s more like a series of people tripping over their own feet. There’s no big payoff, and the ending just sort of stops. Like they ran out of film or money, maybe both. It’s not as sharp as some of the stuff you'd see in Kino-pravda no. 23 - Radio pravda, but that's obviously a different animal entirely.
I found myself staring at the background extras more than the plot. You can see them peeking out from behind bushes, clearly trying not to laugh. It's that kind of production. Very low-stakes, very messy. 🐻
Don't go in expecting anything profound. It’s just noise and shouting, but sometimes, that's exactly what I need on a Tuesday. It doesn't overstay its welcome, which is the nicest thing I can say about it.