With many films that stray off-course, it can be difficult to identify exactly where things go wrong. Not so with Jack the Bear. It takes little insight and virtually no digging to excavate the turning point, which occurs halfway through.The first part of the movie is like a thoughtful version of TV's The Wonder Years. While the distant shadow of tragedy still hangs over Jack the Bear, it's a background element. We see Jack take care of his little brother, experience his first day in a new school, develop a crush on a girl and invite her to his house for dinner, and stay up late at night to watch a horror-movie show that his father stars in. The film moves along at a leisurely pace, letting us float in nostalgia as we remember what it's like to be a child.However, about the time that Gary Sinese's Norman starts playing a major role, the film shifts from light drama to leaden melodrama, with doses of action and silliness thrown in for good measure. The second half of Jack the Bear is a jerky, uneven ride that never comes close to fulfilling the promise of what preceded it.
Review of Jack the Bear
