| Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-lot | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Directed by | Mike Fallows |
| Written by | Jeffrey Alan Schechter |
| Produced by | Cynthia Taylor |
| Starring | Julie Lemieux Allie Cannito Adrian Truss Susan Roman Katie Griffin |
| Edited by | Annellie Samuel |
| Music by | Ian Thomas |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | North America: Lions Gate Home Entertainment (Family Home Entertainment) Overseas: Universal Pictures[1] |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 83 minutes[2] |
| Countries | Canada United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$3–5 million[3] |
Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-lot is a 2004 animated musical adventure film, produced by Nelvana and released by Lions Gate Home Entertainment. It was the first Nelvana production featuring the Care Bears in the last 24 years, since the Care Bears Nutcracker Suite television film in 1988. Directed by Mike Fallows and written by Jeffrey Alan Schecter, this was the fourth film to star the Care Bears and their first in 17 years. This was also the first one in the franchise to be computer-animated.
The film centres on Funshine Bear, a Care Bear who loves to laugh and tell jokes. After one of his jokes backfires against Grumpy, another of the Bears, Funshine runs away to find a place where others can appreciate his talents better. He discovers a town known as Joke-a-lot, where laughter and humour are the order of the day, and soon becomes the area's "King". Unknown to the Bear, a rat named Sir Funnybone is using him that way in order to possess an important object called the Royal Sceptre.
Journey to Joke-a-lot premiered in the United States on October 5, 2004, direct-to-video through Lions Gate Home Entertainment, and was subsequently released in 2005 in international territories through Universal Pictures. It received generally positive reviews, although the computer animation was singled out. In the midst of this installment's success, Lions Gate released a 2005 sequel, The Care Bears' Big Wish Movie. A soundtrack album, featuring the film's songs and some original tracks, was released by Madacy Kids on the same day as the film's debut.
- ^ Grant, Jules (February 15, 2005). "Nelvana's Care Bears return". C21Media. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
- ^ Fuller, Cam; Bernhardt, Darren; Robertson, Bill (October 28, 2004). "Mellencamp collection a must for Cougar Club". The Star-Phoenix. Canwest Interactive. p. D2.
- ^ Staff (April 25, 2005). "Youth: Care Bears out of hibernation". Playback. Brunico Communications: 15.