Bear and Friends: The Movie

Bear and Friends: The Movie is an American comedy adventure action film based on the series with the same name. It is produced by Gabriel Combs Movies and distributed by YouTube Originals. The film stars Gabriel Combs, Kadence Lovett, Saige Lovett, and Niko Lovett reprising their roles from the series. The film takes place after the events of the series.

The film was released on YouTube on December 4, 2020. The film received a mixed response from fans, with praise for the performances, humor, and faithfulness to the series, but with criticism for "not having a plot". It currently holds a 49% Like Vs. Dislike Score. A sequel is in development, while a spin-off centered around Unicorn was released on February 10, 2021.

Plot
Principal Steinbeck, who rots in jail after the events of Unicorn Goes to School, plots revenge against Bear, Dog, and Unicorn for defeating him in battle. He then breaks out of Jail and defeats the Police Officer and Prison Guard, preparing for a war against the three.

Bear wakes up early and goes to eat cereal. He and Unicorn have a fight over who should eat it and Bear goes to Dog, who got a haircut. Dog and Unicorn decide that they want to spend the day with each other and tell Bear to go away, outcasting him. The three are soon after captured by Principal Steinbeck, who locks them in the Pantry. The three quickly escape.

As they escape, they are trapped outside. They search for food while Steinbeck ruins their house in revenge. They accidentally fall into a forest. Steinbeck searches outside for the three and knocks out Nature Tour Guide Karen. The three then get inside and lock Steinbeck out. As they watch videos, Steinbeck is revealed to have snuck back in. He then creates a device that hacks into dreams. Afraid, he runs away due to being scared of their dreams.

As Steinbeck tries to plot for revenge, Bear and his friends have a picture collage together as friends, as the pictures end Bear notices Steinbeck in the background. Dog and Unicorn jump on his bed while he searches for him. Later, Bear invites them on a Shopping Spree with him. Steinbeck sneaks in to capture them in the process. As the chase ensues, Gerald saves the three and takes them to the car. Steinbeck then sneaks into the trunk of the car while they’re not looking.

Later, Steinbeck locks them out of the house again in an act of revenge. Bear, Dog, and Unicorn then find their Paradise, an Africa look-a-like place with dandelions and Potatoes. As they enjoy, Steinbeck searches for them to stalk them and see what their plans are. He then gives up later. Bear, Dog, and Unicorn begin to realize their lack of food (besides Potatoes) and they search for their home. On the Way, Bear has a nightmare about Steinbeck winning the war they started. The three arrive at the house in the Dark, but Steinbeck captures Bear in the process, along with the reveal that he and Gerald are the same person. Steinbeck then captures Dog and Unicorn, leading to the three having a fight. Steinbeck celebrates his success, but wants more. He then captures Dog and Unicorn, presumably killing them in an oven. Bear escapes the chair he was tied to and discovers the bodies to be fake.

Bear, along with the help of Sam and Buzz Lighthear, vow to come up with a Battle Plan. They then try to sneak into Steinbeck’s lair, but a hypnotized Dog guards the entrance. Dog hits them to the Downstairs, where they were trying to sneak to the whole time. Steinbeck eventually captures the three, locking them in the “hypno box”, a hypnotizing device. Bear begins to regret the fight he started with his friends as the three are finally hypnotized. Unicorn’s Dad and Unicorn are revealed to be immune as Unicorn’s Dad saves Unicorn. He then uses the last of his power to de-hypnotize Bear and Dog as Steinbeck kills him.

In the Kitchen, Unicorn hears the news about her Dad from Bear and Dog and she quits the fight due to sadness, leaving Bear and Dog to save the world alone. In Steinbeck’s Lair, Bear is nearly killed as Unicorn arrives and de-hypnotizes everyone, along with the reveal that Unicorn’s Dad survived the attack. The group then prepares for their final fight with Steinbeck. As he leaves, Bear, Dog, and Unicorn battle him. They defeat him and he is arrested once and for all, putting an end to his evil. One Week Later, Unicorn’s Dad gets a new girlfriend, Sam goes on Vacation, and Bear and Dog celebrate the friendship they created.

In a mid-credit scene, Principal Steinbeck plots revenge once again, leaving him back where he started.

Cast

 * Gabriel Combs as Bear, a Spirit Bear who is friends with and outcasted by Dog and Unicorn. He is also the arch nemesis of Principal Steinbeck.
 * Gabriel Combs as Dog, Bear’s best friend who is a St. Bernard and Unicorn’s husband who outcasts Bear.
 * Kadence Lovett as Unicorn, Dog’s wife who outcasts Bear and lives with Bear and Dog with her sister and father.
 * Gabriel Combs as Principal Steinbeck, a psychopathic principal who breaks out of Prison to get revenge on Bear. He is also Unicorn’s former Principal (hence the name).

Additionally, Gabriel Combs, Kadence Lovett, Niko Lovett, and Saige Lovett reprise their roles as Unicorn’s Dad, Unicorn’s Sister, Jillary and Sam, and himself respectively.

Production
In May 2020, the cast of Bear and Friends kept it secret that YouTube secretly announced the making of a feature film based on Bear and Friends, with the cast reprising their roles for the film. It was filmed secretly through August of 2020 and the film ended up being the longest Bear and Friends project ever made. In November 2020, YouTube made the decision to release the film on December 4, 2020 due to many fans being quarantined. Combs also created a countdown for the film to celebrate its release.

Reception
The film received a mixed response from fans for the performances, humor, and faithfulness to the series, but with criticism for "not having a plot". On a Like Vs. Dislike Scale, the film received a 49% score. The site reads, “Bear and Friends: The Movie is enjoyable enough to entertain fans of the series, but for everyone else, its a roller coaster of a film, and not in a good way.”

Release
The film was released on YouTube on December 4, 2020. It also had an unannounced YouTube screening on November 18, 2020 for the cast so they can approve the film. It was originally intended to be a private film, but Combs changed the schedule for the film to have a YouTube release for the fans.

Marketing
The film’s trailer was originally scheduled to be released months before it officially released. The original trailer was scrapped and the new trailer was released on November 15, 2020. The trailer received a positive response from fans.

Sequels
During production of the film, Combs intended to make numerous sequels as private films. Eventually, when Combs announced that Bear and Friends: The Movie would be released on YouTube, the fate of the film was unknown and supposedly canceled. In December 2020, Combs announced a sequel due to the film’s success. He announced that it would be the same as the original idea he had for a sequel, but with a few major changes. The sequel’s title is Bear and Friends: A New Adventure and was released in August 6, 2021.

A second sequel, titled Bear and Friends: The Apocalypse, is currently in development.

Spin-Offs
A spin-off, titled Unicorn: A Bear and Friends Story, was released on February 10, 2021. It centers around Unicorn as she meets her long lost cousin Josh and the two take a stroll down memory lane. Kadence Lovett and Gabriel Combs reprise their roles for the film, with Niko Lovett and Kamden Lovett appearing in cameos. It was considered an improvement over this film and a fun movie itself. The film has also received the most positive response of any film in the franchise to date,

A sequel, titled Unicorn 2: A Bear and Friends Story, is currently in development.