But let's be honest... the market is getting quite flooded.  It used to be a treat for kids to go see the one or two massive animated flicks of the year.  Nowadays, it seems like there is one of these talking-animal-fests released every few weeks.  They are really starting to blur together.

So, naturally, Sony Animation has decided to bloat the genre even further, unable to resist the free-flowing dollars of America's unimaginative parents.  Along comes "Open Season", an ever-so-routine collage of goofy-voiced animals stumbling upon wacky situations, while carefully taking measures to squeeze in enough pop-culture references to keep the parents smirking.

The over-energetic protagonists of this tale are Elliot and Boog (Kutcher & Lawrence), a mule deer and a domesticated bear.  For your stereotypical animated personality reference, the deer would typically be played by Eddie Murphy and the bear would usually be voiced by Robin Williams.

When Boog rescues Elliot from the clutches of master-hunter Shaw (Sinise), it forces Elliot to attempt returning the favor.  His plan -- to release Boog from his idyllic garage habitat to the weird, wild and wacky woods... not-so-coincidentally jam-packed with more nutty creatures.

However, hunting season is looming and Shaw is on their trail.  Can our furry animals survive the onslaught and turn the tables?  Yeah... of course they can.  And you'll never guess, but they live happily ever after.

Anyhoo.. the plot is never important with films like this.  What matters most is whether there are laughs or not.  And yes... there are quite a few.  Martin Lawrence has a great comedic voice and he is at the center of most of the jokes.

The problem is that the film is tremendously hit and miss.  A ton of scenes come across flat.  "Open Season" just tries too hard.  It often feels like Crusty the Clown playing to a silent audience, straining for giggles with tired schtick.

Will this movie be successful for kids?  Probably.  Despite being a film critic, I am not really the best one to ask.  I am an adult writing for other adults... and for them, this film should come up short.  I am of the opinion that all kids are stupid when it comes to movies... They will take anything with bright colors and funny noises.  I also believe that it is the parents who are to blame for their children's lack of taste.  I wish parents would challenge their kids with more substantial material from time to time, watching with and explaining it to them if necessary.

But these types of films are simply time-fillers.  They occupy the kids and placate their basest desires.  Only a few ever seem to rise above that level.  I mentioned the "Shrek" movies and the "Toy Story" series.  Throw in "The Lion King" if you like.  However, even those films shouldn't be worn out in the DVD player.

"Open Season" isn't horrible.  It is merely blah.  But kids love fast food and the cinematic equivalent for a reason... because they are fed it at will.  Listen, they may not like it when you make them eat all their vegetables or finish their homework... but it will do them good in the long run.  Maybe parents should think about skipping this waste of money and spend some valuable time exploring more nutritional forms of entertainment.