I decided to take my 12 and 13 year old daughters to see Sony’s much-hyped “Open Season” to give it the true Shrek/Pixar test: would they laugh at this like they did at those?

The tale follows the life of Boog, a domesticated grizzly bear. He’s been raised by the bear equivalent of Dian Fossey and his days include jeep rides, “Wheel of Fortune”, using a people-potty and a cozy little bed in the garage that he snuggles up to with his little blue teddy bear.

Things become complicated for Boog when he frees Elliott, a fast-talking, puny deer that’s strapped to the hood of the town’s big hunter’s SUV. Why he’s there and not dead is never really explained. He is missing one antler which creates one of the movie’s funnier moments when he sees his new look for the first time.

Elliott is to Boog what Donkey was to Shrek; annoying in every way but somehow lovable beneath his Gilbert Gottfried-like rambling. Ashton Kutcher does the voice of Elliott and is funnier than I expected all throughout the movie. Martin Lawrence is the voice of Boog and delivers the necessary urban slang to let you know that Boog has some “hipness” deep down inside.

Elliott gets Boog in just enough trouble to make his owner figure out that she has to send him back into the woods. The problem for Boog is that its three days before hunting season begins.

The rest of the movie is spent meeting the various creatures from the forest and rallying them for the movie’s big Braveheart-like battle against the hunters. The Scottish squirrels’ accent and delivery are very funny and instant classics. Using the ducks to carry the skunks for a full-blown aerial spraying assault actually had me laughing out loud.

All in all, Open Season is a well written, funny movie suitable for kids of all ages. But in no way, shape or form does it come close to the quality of Shrek or any of the Pixar classics.

I give it 3 ˝ out of 5 stars.