Regarding the negative comments about Home On The Range, I certainly respect everyone's right to voice their opinion - I've certainly voiced my own negative opinions on many things ranging from "Under New Management" to Disney's management itself (ie Eisner)
So, this is not meant as an argument with the above opinions, just to express my own opinion on the matter.
For what it's worth, I liked both Home On The Range and Brother Bear better than...
Hercules, Mulan, The Emperor's New Groove, Lilo and Stitch, Atlantis, and Treasure Planet, to name a few.
And I liked all of those films, at least on some level (well, ok, maybe Hercules is a stretch
Atlantis and Treasure Planet in particular I felt were very underated, solid fantasy films that were much better than their box office indicated.
I will even go as far as to say I liked Brother Bear and Home On The Range better than The Lion King.
I know that may sound shocking, but, while I like The Lion King on some levels, it's never been a favorite. Parts of it feel preachy to me and the underlying theme just never totally clicked with me on the deep, subconsious level that most Disney films do.
Maybe it's because it seems to be one of the few Disney films where the "outsider" seems to be frowned upon rather than championed.
When we first see Scar, for instance, he is minding his own business, doing his own thing, and suddenly finds himself being sermonized at by Mufasa for not participating in a ceremony with the rest of society.
If this scene is supposed to vilianize Scar, it made me sympathize with him instead. Only when we see that he has murderous intentions do I dislike him.
And then when Simba sets out to live his own life, hanging out with his new friends, he is reprimanded for not "being who he is born to be".
As an individualist, I don't believe we are born obligated to be anything other than what we choose. I mean, if Prince William decided to abdicate the throne and spend the rest of his days "slumming" in a small Parisian apartment, frequenting intellectual cafes whilst discussing the merits of Satre and Camus and the essense of the human condition as discussed in their writing, I'd say, "good for him, if that's what he wants!"
Also, the "circle of life" aspect of the theme seemed to have already been done with more sublimity and grace 50 year earlier - in Bambi.
At any rate, I think what I'm getting at is, as admittedly BEAUTIFUL as Lion King is to look at, as good as the score and songs are, it's not one of my favorites primarily because the story just didn't resonate with me as much as many other Disney stories.
Conversely, Brother Bear and Home On The Range had stories that entertained me both on the surface level, but more importantly, moved me on the deeper subconsious level. The fact that I'm an animal lover and that animals played a major role in these two films was icing on the cake. ("Home" was especially endearing to me on that level because the protagonists are herbavores, which I am partial to).
So, whatever flaws these films may or may not have visually or musically (yes, the songs in Brother Bear could have been better, although a few are fairly catchy, but I enjoyed the score. I enjoyed both the songs and the score of Range), the reason I loved both of them is STORY, STORY, STORY.
Just as Charlotte's Web is one of my all time favorite animated films because I LOVE the story so much. Same for Babe in the live action category. (Although, admittedly, Home didn't seem quite at the Babe level, but then again, few films are IMO)
The story and the theme of Disney's two most recent animated features worked and resonated for me. Other viewers' mileage will vary.
And BTW, I went with HIGH expectations - I expected to find characters to sympathise and identify with, I expected to be entertained, to laugh, to cry, and to be moved - and BOTH Brother Bear and Home On The Range delivered all of this for me.
David