Norm of the North

Technological enhancements have done some wonderful things for animated filmmaking. But the proliferation and relative low cost of computer-generated techniques have also given cheap knockoffs like Norm of the North a much easier path to the big screen.

This adventure about mischief involving anthropomorphic polar bears spends so much time straining to be hip and clever for contemporary youngsters that it would have felt outdated had it been released several months earlier.

The title character is a loquacious bear (voiced by Rob Schneider) who loves to dance and show off for the occasional boatload of tourists that glides by his patch of arctic ice. However, Norm’s home and those of his fellow glacier dwellers are threatened when a greedy developer (Ken Jeong) hatches a plan to build luxury condos there.

It’s up to Norm to save the day, leading to an elaborate fish-out-of-water plan that takes him to New York to star in a commercial for the very development he’s trying to stop. That brings him into contact with the company’s marketing chief (Heather Graham) and her sympathetic young daughter who assist in his quest.

The screenplay is derivative of other recent animated films that had the type of box-office success Norm of the North clearly aspires to replicate. But despite some wacky slapstick animal antics, it’s doubtful that even the least discriminating children will settle for this level of shameless pandering, from references to “twerking” and selfies to silly dance numbers set to a peppy top-40 soundtrack.

What’s worse is the lazy reliance on cheesy one-liners and aggressive low-brow humor, with the trio of diminutive minion (oops, lemming) sidekicks offering plenty of bodily functions at which to ostensibly chuckle.

When they’re not busy cramming every frame with nonstop motion for those with short-attention spans, rookie director Trevor Wall and his team introduce a few nice visual touches, with some whimsically abstract character details scattered amid the generally rudimentary animation.

There’s also a half-hearted ecological message about global warming and wildlife habitat preservation, not to mention the dangers of buying real estate on a melting glacier. Yet the result leaves viewers of all ages stranded in the cold.

Rated PG, 86 minutes.