A ‘Grizzly’ Message on Environment

“Grizzly Mountain” marks the return of Dan Haggerty, star of the popular “Grizzly Adams” TV series and subsequent movies. While it’s nice to have the burly, amiable portrayer of mountain men back after a near-fatal motorcycle accident, it’s too bad “Grizzly Mountain” is such an amateurish effort.

Actually, its premise has possibilities for a family entertainment. A surveyor (Don Borza) for the state of Oregon takes his family along when he starts mapping out a condo development in a beautiful forest a two-hour drive from Portland.

His two older children (Dylan Haggerty, Nicole Lund) go off to do a little exploring on their own, entering a cave that transports them back to 1870. With their walkie-talkies and other 1990s toys, they end up helping Haggerty’s Jeremiah and a local Indian tribe fend off some rapacious developers. When the children are reunited at last with their family, their father gets the conservationist message.

Sadly, Haggerty is surrounded by more mediocre acting than he is gorgeous wilderness scenery. Jeremy Haft hasn’t a clue as to how to direct actors, and he and his co-writers send their politically correct messages with a heavy hand. The bad guy (Perry Stephens) has three knucklehead sidekicks whose antics make the Three Stooges masters of subtlety in comparison, and they make the movie all but unwatchable. You can’t in good conscience recommend “Grizzly Mountain” to anyone over the age of 5.

* MPAA rating: G. Times guidelines: The film’s content is suitable for all ages.

‘Grizzly Mountain’

Dan Haggerty: Jeremiah

Dylan Haggerty: Dylan

Nicole Lund: Nicole

Kim Morgan Greene: Betty

Perry Stephens: Burt

A Mega Communications in association with Legacy Releasing presentation of a Parkinson/Konstant & Furla production. Director Jeremy Haft. Producers Anthony Dalesandro and Peter White. Executive producers Kevin Trudeau, Jeffrey Salberg, Jeff Rice. Screenplay by Haft and White; based on a story by Eric Parkinson. Cinematographer Andy Parke. Editors Richard Westover and Dalesandro. Music Jon McCallum. Running time: 1 hour, 36 minutes.

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* In general release throughout Southern California.