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ONE HUNDRED years from now, the Earth is in the throes of an environmental apocalypse. Mutant spores released by humans—specifically, a hapless former logger called Vick—have led to the planet being overwhelmed by giant pink predatory mushrooms. Drastic action is needed. Happily, two benevolent bears are on hand to tame this excessively fungal future with appropriate high technology: a bio-engineered “spore purification” agent, seed-dispensing drones, and a laser cannon powered by renewables.

This is the plot of “Boonie Bears: Future Reborn”, the eleventh instalment of a popular Chinese animated film series, released in January 2025. It stands out from many state-approved Chinese cultural works in the optimism and scope of its environmental message. The clarity of the subtext is striking, too. Vick—bald, middle-aged and out of his depth—can be read as a Westerner. Briar and Bramble, the heroes, are feisty Asiatic black bears (though not, for some reason, actually black) clearly culturally coded as Chinese. The actions of others, the film seems to say, have created an urgent environmental crisis. Technology is the solution. And China is taking the lead.