The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland - Reception

Reception

"It's always been hard to care for these bears. These adventures do not change them for the better."

Like the first Care Bears Movie,Adventure in Wonderland received mixed reviews from critics. Henry Herx in The Family Guide to Movies and Videos deemed it a "vastly superior sequel" to the "failed original": " a lively, colourful, complexly designed and orchestrated travelolgue through Wonderland ... Director Raymond Jafelice holds even adult interest with his fast cuts and engaging fantasy characters." while the Bantam Books guide, Movies on TV and Video Cassette gave it two and a half stars out of four and called it "Enjoyable for the tyke set." The 1988–1989 edition of the Film Review called it "the best of the trio", adding that it "may well please the youngsters" with its "non-stop entertainment"; this view was also shared by Carole Kass of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. John Teerds of Brisbane, Australia's Sunday Mail wrote of the film positively, while another Australian critic, Rob Lowing of Sydney's The Sun-Herald, gave it two and a half stars out of four and noted that there was "Nothing original here, although that also means nothing to shock". Similarly, the Christian Science Monitor wrote that "The animated action holds few surprises for grown-ups, but the cute characters and fetching designs should enthrall young children."

In her New York Times review, Caryn James said, " movie is paced so it won't strain the attention span of a 6-month-old, but there is nothing to spark a child's imagination." As noted Hal Hinson of The Washington Post, "Watching is like being pelted mercilessly for 75 minutes with Lucky Charms. It's nonfatal (unless you have a sugar problem, in which case you're likely to lapse into a coma), but it's not exactly my idea of fun either." Rick Groen of Toronto's The Globe and Mail expressed disappointment over the way the villain was handled.

Comparing this installment to its predecessors, Newsday's Joseph Gemlis declared that Wonderland "aspires to be more than a merchandising gimmick. It has a story to tell". However, he criticised the plot and treatment of the fictional land's denizens. Film critic Leonard Maltin called it a "typically bland kiddie outing", awarding it two stars out of four. The staff of Halliwell's Film Guide called it "Undemanding and uninteresting whimsy for the under-sixes", while London's Time Out referred to it as "Hemlock to Lewis Carroll fans." In a 1988 issue, the Video Librarian labelled it a "dud".

Adventure in Wonderland was nominated for Best Music Score (by Patricia Cullen) and Best Original Song ("Rise and Shine" by Maribeth Soloman) at the 1987 Genie Awards in Canada. At the Young Artist Awards, it was also nominated for Best Motion Picture in the Animated category.