The Hundred Acre Wood is full of iconic and legendary characters. Our titular character is an instant Disney marvel, working his way into our hearts in a matter of seconds. It is impossible to avoid laughing when Winnie the Pooh is on screen. From his actions to his words, he is just downright funny. He is one of the best characters ever created by Disney, and towards the end of the film when he has a heart-to-heart conversation with Christopher Robin, my heart always soars. Tigger steals every scene he is in. His energy is electric and infectious. Plus, when he interacts with Winnie the Pooh, the scene comes alive with pure Disney magic. One of my favorite scenes in the film comes in our first encounter with Tigger, and just thinking about it makes me smile from ear to ear (see below for more detail on that scene). Furthermore, our secondary characters are wonderful as well. Eeyore is phenomenal. Ralph Wright's voice work here is absolutely spectacular, seamlessly delivering every line with the deft blend of monotonousness and hilarity, Eeyore always has been and always will be one of my favorite characters ever created by Disney. Piglet is amazing too, especially when he interacts with Winnie the Pooh. Rabbit gets a nice bit of screentime, and he acts as the perfect foil to Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. Kanga, Roo, Owl, and Gopher all have chances to shine, and shine they do. These characters are simply superb, once again acting as highlights for a Disney film.
Each segment in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh are glorious Disney creations. The first one, "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree," nicely introduces us to these characters and the Hundred Acre Wood while also setting the tone for the entire film. That tone is one full of whimsy, playfulness, and innocence, a marvelous combination that works beautifully in the film. The second segment, "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day," boasts gorgeous animation at all times, especially in Winnie the Pooh's dream sequence, and terrific character interaction. The final segment, "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too," ties it all together illustriously, further showcasing the sublime animation and classic characters. Each segment possesses its own unique identity, but the characters and their interactions with one another are always at the forefront, and that is one of the many reasons this film works on such a high level. Not only does Disney stay true to Milne's original characterizations, but they bring even more magic to the Hundred Acre Wood gang through the animation, dialogue, and music.
Speaking of the music in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the Sherman Brothers strike again! Perhaps their second best soundtrack behind Mary Poppins, each song in this film is an instant classic. The opening song, "Winnie the Pooh," is one I could listen to all day without growing weary of it. The same could be said about a number of this film's tunes, including "Little Black Raincloud," "Heffalumps and Woozles," and "The Rain, Rain, Rain Came Down, Down, Down." Tigger's theme, "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers" is, well, wonderful as well. It helps these songs that Disney has assembled one of their best casts ever to bring these characters to life. The one and only Sterling Holloway voicing Winnie the Pooh is one of the greatest casting choices in Disney history, and when he sings, the chills are induced. Paul Winchell's Tigger is perfect, and there is really no other way of putting it. The aforementioned Ralph Wright worked miracles with Eeyore, and the list goes on and on.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh contains some of the best Disney characters, some of the best Disney songs, some of the best Disney animation, and some of the best Disney voice actors. All in all, this one truly is one of Disney's best films. This film is so unique, and yet still so uniquely Disney. I love how the characters interact not only with the Narrator (another casting stroke of genius with Sebastian Cabot guiding us through the story), but with the storybook itself, constantly travelling from page to page and word to word. That is something that had never been seen before and will perhaps never be seen again, and therein lies the magic of this film. You will not find a more innocently fun film than The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. There are no epiphanies or dramatic, life-changing moments in this film. There are no show-stopping scenes, but at the end of the day, I would be shocked if anyone with a soul left this film without being thoroughly entertained and with a gigantic smile across their face. It continues to astonish me to this day how I much I really love this gem of a Disney classic.
Rating: 10/10
Historical Significance: I would be remiss if I did not use this section to honor a few Disney icons who provided voices for this film. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh would be the final Disney films for three genuine legends. Sebastian Cabot would pass away just five months after the release of this film at the age of 59. His Disney filmography concluded with such roles in animated films as Bagheera in The Jungle Book and Sir Ector in The Sword in the Stone as well as narrating The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. He would also portray Johnathan Lyte in the 1957 live action film, Johnny Tremain. Furthermore, Cabot would later lend his voice to Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room as Claude. Sterling Holloway's illustrious career would include roles in animated films such as Mr. Stork (Dumbo), Adult Flower (Bambi), Narrator (The Three Caballeros/Make Mine Music), Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland), Kaa (The Jungle Book), Roquefort (The AristoCats), and Winnie the Pooh (The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh). Holloway retired soon after his work on this film and became a Disney Legend in 1991 before passing away in 1992 at the age of 87. Finally, Barbara Luddy ended her amazing Disney career with such roles in animation as Lady (Lady and the Tramp), Merryweather (Sleeping Beauty), Rover (101 Dalmatians), Mother Church Mouse/Mother Rabbit (Robin Hood), and Kanga (The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh). Luddy passed away in 1979 at the age of 70. Three legends that will truly never be forgotten.
Behind the Scenes: The iconic voice of Tigger was originally provided by Paul Winchell. Two of Tigger's signatures are his laugh and his sign-off ("TTFN= Ta-Ta For Now"). Both of these were ad-libbed on the spot by Winchell. Furthermore, Gopher is the only character appearing in the film that is not a part of Milne's original stories. Gopher was initially created by Disney to replace Piglet, which is why Piglet is not seen in the first segment, "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree." Disney later changed its mind and reinstated Piglet into the film's second short, "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day," and the rest is history.
Favorite Character: I have changed my answer for this section so many times. I truly love all of these characters, especially Tigger and Eeyore, but I just could not pick against that willy, nilly, silly old bear. Winnie the Pooh is a legend among legends (And Hollywood agrees. Winnie the Pooh is one of six Disney characters to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame). He appearsin every segment, and in every segment he delights, charms, and entertains his way into our hearts like no character before him. Sterling Holloway's voice work here is simply incredible. Winnie the Pooh is not only my favorite character from this film; he is one of my favorite characters in Disney history.
Favorite Scene: Winnie the Pooh's first encounter with Tigger is Disney magic at its finest. From the classic pounce of Tigger to Pooh's introduction to the Heffalumps and Woozles, this scene is one of Disney's absolute best. The magic that is created with every word in this scene with Tigger and Pooh is unrivaled. In a film packed with hilarious scenes, this one takes home the prize of the most hilarious. It is sweet, innocent, and charming, which basically means that it takes what makes this film work so well as a whole and puts it all into this favorite scene of mine.
Favorite Song: As I mentioned before, this soundtrack is sensational, but I will have to go with the opening number, "Winnie the Pooh," as my favorite of the bunch. Not only does it allow my favorite character to become an instant legend, but it allows for all of the characters to become instant legends. Through the lyrics and music of this one song, we are magically transported to the Hundred Acre Wood in unprecedented fashion. It is a true gem. (Listen to the song along with opening credits here)
Updated Ranking: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is one of my favorite films of all-time, and I think its ranking reflects that.
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Peter Pan
- Cinderella
- The Jungle Book
- Sleeping Beauty
- Pinocchio
- Lady and the Tramp
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Alice in Wonderland
- Dumbo
- Bambi
- 101 Dalmatians
- Fantasia
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
- The AristoCats
- Fun and Fancy Free
- Robin Hood
- Melody Time
- The Three Caballeros
- Saludos Amigos
- The Sword in the Stone
- Make Mine Music
It's a bit of a cliche, but this film is for everyone, from the young to the young at heart. I still find myself laughing hysterically while also feeling my heart soar at the immense charm packed into this film. It really is one of the greats. Next up, The Rescuers!
-Cody Fleenor
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