Synopsis: Becca and Zoe help their newest friend Sam save the galaxy from a mean King.

Juror comments: Space Bears - the Movie is a short animated film with a wonderful message of friendship. The plot is well thought out and engaging. The music is upbeat and the different planets are interesting and fun. The characters all have different personalities and talents which make them a great team.

Elder Bear narrates a story about greedy King Glopp who has a scepter with a gem that holds powers that he is using to try to take over all the planets. The only thing that can stop him is the friendship gem which he breaks into pieces. Space Bear Sam teams up with Zoe, Becca and others to try find the pieces and defeat him.

I like the main characters in the story – the evil king who wants take over the galaxy, Sam the hero who wants to defeat him. The friendship gem keeps getting destroyed which makes it interesting since that's the only way they can defeat the evil king. I also like how everyone has a special talent and they contribute to stopping King Glop. The theme of friendship is seen throughout the story.

The 2D animation is very detailed, once you get beyond the opening 3 minutes – which is composed of non-animated images as Elder Bear gives the background of the story. I was concerned that the entire film would be like this, but fortunately it is not. After you get past the opening 3 minutes, it has full range animation with bright colors, interesting characters and cool backgrounds. The planets have a lot of detail and are named to fit the environment of each one. The characters are imaginative, as is their attire. Sam's hero suit has lots of details with many gadgets that he uses to do lots of stuff. The backgrounds change throughout the story several times as the characters travel to different planets, including the one where King Glop rules. I like how the planets' environments match their names and King Glop's planet looks gloomy, which sets the mood there. The music is upbeat and optimistic music when Sam enters and when the space bear team appears. The show is directed by Mike Shleif and written by Mike and Madison Shleif. Kudos to them for creating an excellent script with lots of child-appropriate humor. The plot is interesting and the characters are very enjoyable to watch. The message is a really good one for young children. I particularly enjoyed Erika the Robot. She is humorous because she never understood sarcasm and takes things too literally. All the voice actors are to be commended for their performances.

The message of the show is that friendship and teamwork can help you triumph over difficult obstacles and get you through difficult situations.

I give Space Bears - The Movie 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 4 to 12. Reviewed by Carlee S. and Julie S., KIDS FIRST!