Open Season 2


Open Season 2 is a 2008 American computer-animated comedy film and the sequel to the 2006 film Open Season, produced by Sony Pictures Animation. It was directed by Matthew O'Callaghan, co-directed by Todd Wilderman, and produced by Kirk Bodyfelt and Matthew O'Callaghan. It was released direct-to-video in the United States, and theatrically in other countries.

Plot

Elliot has grown giant new antlers and is marrying Giselle. But during a mishap, Elliot's new antlers are cracked off and now look like they did in the first film, which upsets him. Luckily, his best friend, Boog and the others manage to cheer Elliot up by having a rabbit fight. But Elliot has new emotions about his marriage and feels reluctant to marry Giselle. Mr. Weenie finds a dog biscuit trail that his previous owners left behind and uncontrollably follows it. At the climax of the wedding, Elliot witnesses Mr. Weenie being taken away by his old owners, Bob and Bobbie. Elliot tells an exaggerated story to the other forest animals and decides to make a rescue mission to save him. The other ones that go on Elliot's rescue mission are Boog, Giselle, squirrel McSquizzy, Buddy the porcupine,, and ducks Serge and Deni.
Meanwhile, the other pets meet. There is Fifi, a toy poodle and his basset hound companion Roberto, two cats named Stanley and Roger, and Southern dog named Rufus, and Western dog Charlene. Fifi discusses his hatred for wild animals as one night he goes into the bushes to retrieve his chew toy and is "traumatized" by the wild animals inside, and accidentally gets his tail zapped by the bug lighter. He then tries to maul a nearby rabbit, until he's stopped by his owner. Meanwhile, the wilds find Weenie, much to Elliot's dismay, who does not want to marry Giselle. They try to free him while his owners are in a gas station. They free him from his chains, but accidentally leave him stuck in the RV along with Buddy. Elliot and Giselle get in a feud, and eventually leaves Elliot to search for Mr. Weenie himself, while Serge and Deni fly to look for him.
The owners reach the pet camp with Mr. Weenie and a stowed away Buddy. The other pets meet with Weenie, and Fifi tries to revert Weenie back into his pet state, but Weenie resists. Buddy helps Weenie escape and Buddy tries to free Weenie from his shock collar. During the chase, Fifi gets shocked by the collar and gets the fur on his forehead burned, causing him to lose most of his sanity and vow revenge.
Meanwhile, Serge and Deni return and explain they found Weenie and Buddy at a pet camp, which they already escaped from. Boog and the others set camp, and Boog fails to convince Giselle that Elliot is a good person and that they belong together. Elliot, meanwhile, is having a horrible time, following his own tracks that he confuses for Mr. Weenie's and gets his head stuck on a trash can lid all the while missing his friends. The wilds reach the pet camp, but the pets and their owners have already left, but realizes that they have gone to a resort called "Pet Paradiso", a vacation spot for pets. Weenie and Buddy find Elliot in the woods and convince him to go to Pet Paradiso to save his friends.
The wilds reach Pet Paradiso and try to sneak in by disguising themselves as pets, with Giselle as a dalmatian and McSquizzy as a chihuahua. Boog attempts to sneak in as a cat, but gets the idea to be a sheepdog. Elliot also disguises himself as Boog's human owner. Giselle and McSquizzy walk around Pet Paradiso looking for Mr. Weenie, but their cover is blown and are kidnapped by Fifi and the other pets and taken to their secret lair. Elliot, Buddy and Mr. Weenie attempt to go inside to save Giselle and McSquizzy, but Mr. Weenie, missing being a pet again, goes to play on a waterslide, leaving the rest to be captured by Fifi.
Fifi tries to kill them all with a pile of shock collars. As Boog tries to stop Mr. Weenie from going down the waterslide, his cover is blown as well and security attempts to tranquilize him. Before Fifi shocks the wilds into submission, Elliot tries to profess his love for Giselle. As Fifi is about to kill them, Boog, via the waterslide, enters the pets' lair, and the water from the waterslide forces everyone out of the lair.
A battle between the wilds and pets ensues, with the Pet Paradiso security focused on tranquilizing the wilds. While Boog tricks security into tranquilizing themselves, Elliot saves Giselle, accidentally placing all the shock collars on himself. He wrestles Fifi in the pool for the shock collar remote; Fifi eventually grabs the remote and activates the collars, but then realizes that Elliot put all the collars on him. Fifi survives, but the electricity caused him to lose all his fur, humiliating him. The pets and the wilds settle their differences and decide to become friends. Mr. Weenie, wanting to be a pet again, decides to join the pets and returns to his owners in rejoice. Elliot finally professes his true feelings for Giselle, and they get married. Elliot soon loses his other antler.

Cast

Sony announced a sequel to Open Season in September 2007. Although, the original grossed $85 million and $105 million outside the United States, Sony felt the film performed much better on DVD, thus, making a direct-to-DVD sequel. Sony Pictures Digital president said that "the studio will keep Open Season 2's costs low by utilizing Imageworks' satellite facilities in India and New Mexico".

Release

Although Open Season 2 was released direct-to-video in the United States and the United Kingdom, it was released theatrically in some countries. In South Africa on its opening day, the film grossed $84,244 from 26 screens with an $2,081 average. In Russia, it opened with $2,835,600 from 360 screens with a $7,877 average. In Poland, it opened with $194,339 from 75 screens with an $2,591 average. In total, the film grossed $8,716,950.
Theatrical releases:
Critic at DVD Verdict claimed, "Open Season 2 is no classic, but it's a competent check-your-brain-at-the-door comedy for children of all ages. The animation and storytelling may not stack up against Pixar's, but the flick offers something that Pixar movies generally don't: old cartoon slapstick and sight gags in the mold of Bugs Bunny".

Home release

Open Season 2 was released on DVD, Blu-ray Disc and PSP UMD on January 27, 2009.

Sequel

The sequel Open Season 3 premiered in theaters in Russia on October 21, 2010 and was released on DVD and Blu-ray in United States on January 25, 2011.