We are first attracted to A.A. Milne's tales because of his fantastic characters, and Winnie the Pooh does an excellent job of bringing every single of them to life in a fresh yet familiar way. Winnie the Pooh is still the superstar of the ensemble, and just like in The Many Adventures, Pooh's subtle dry humor keeps me laughing around every corner. Plus, the way the filmmakers once again allowed him to interact with the narrator (Monty Python alum John Cleese brilliantly takes over for Sebastian Cabot) and the storybook itself is a nostalgic and ingenious move (more on Pooh below). Eeyore takes on a co-leading role essentially here alongside Pooh as he immediately reminds us of why we love this irresistible donkey. In Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore has lost his tail, which not only ignites the story, but this detail also allows Eeyore to deliver some hilarious dialogue as well due to the nature of his downtrodden personality. When he teams up with Tigger, this film truly shines because Eeyore and Tigger's personalities are obviously quite different, so the comedy that ensues in those scenes is incredible. Speaking of Tigger, he is as free-spirited as ever, still pouncing on folks much to their dismay and still enjoying life to the fullest. Piglet is as delightfully paranoid as we remember him to be as he never ceases to steal the show when on screen. Rabbit is also given some nice moments, especially when the crew finds themselves trapped in a ditch and Rabbit is apparently the only one who wants to get out. Owl, with all of his false intellect, oftentimes steals the show as he attempts to convince the gang that he knows all about the situation transpiring in this story (Christopher Robin has been abducted, according to Owl, although he is really just preoccupied and will return later). Kanga and Roo are not given much to do, and yet, they are still great characters. Winnie the Pooh is an ode to all of these legends, and every character will leave you with the biggest grin on your face by the film's conclusion.
This film is extremely brief (it clocks in at a mere sixty-three minutes, and that includes the closing credits), but it packs in some rather impressive animation throughout its short runtime. Returning to their hand drawn roots, Disney has crafted a film straight out of the sixties and seventies not only in terms of story and endearment, but especially regarding the animation style. Winnie the Pooh acts as a breath of fresh air to a computer obsessed industry and reminds us all that Disney can still produce films the old fashion way with no magic lost. Now, I love computer animation as much as anyone (you do recall my overall praise for Pixar, right?), but I must admit that I absolutely love watching Winnie the Pooh because here is a film made in the modern era that is doing it the way it was originally designed to be done. In a film that thrives on nostalgia, it is totally appropriate that the animation style transports us back to the first Golden Age of Disney right in the middle of the studio's third Golden Age. Also, the new music found in this film may not reach the classic heights of its 1977 predecessor, but there are plenty of fun songs to go around. "The Backson Song" is the true highlight of the soundtrack (more on this song and its scene below), but other numbers such as "It's Gonna Be Great" and "Everything is Honey" are simply enchanting. Of course, we also hear the signature "Winnie the Pooh" theme song with a short rendition of "The Wonderful Things About Tiggers," which will always immensely enhance a film.
I am not going to write this review and attempt to convince you that Winnie the Pooh is the greatest film in Disney history (you can tell that by my updated rankings below). There are no profound messages to be proclaimed and no show-stopping sequences, but I would expect nothing else from the Hundred Acre Wood gang. Anything flamboyant and over-the-top just wouldn't be appropriate for these characters and their stories, and in an industry that is increasingly moving away from the classic way of producing films, Winnie the Pooh is a nice reminder that Walt mastered the art of animation decades ago. If you have young children, I have no doubt this will quickly become one of their new favorite films thanks to the characters and the simplicity of the story. If you are older like me, though, there is certainly still plenty to enjoy. If nothing else, for sixty-three minutes, the world will fade away and innocence will reign yet again, and I assure you that you will finish watching Winnie the Pooh with a smile on your face and happiness in your heart, and isn't that why we watch Disney films in the first place?
Rating: 8.5/10
Historical Significance: While the characters from the Hundred Acre Wood have appeared in many Disney films, Winnie the Pooh is only the second one produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios (The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh from 1977), meaning that only those two films are a part of the official Disney animated canon. The remainder of these films were either released directly to home entertainment platforms or released in theaters under the DisneyToon Studios banner (not officially the canon). This is the third time the official canon has produced a sequel. The Rescuers Down Under in 1990 followed up The Rescuers from 1977 while Fantasia 2000 followed up Fantasia from 1940. The next sequel will be released in March 2018 with Wreck-It Ralph 2 hitting the big screen while Disney has also announced plans for a sequel to Frozen. This film perhaps signifies the end of an era as currently, it is the final animated film from Disney to be hand drawn. Computer animation is the rightfully the craze now, so truly, we may never see another film like Winnie the Pooh.
Behind the Scenes: A variety of new songs were written for Winnie the Pooh, and the writers responsible for these tunes should be familiar to Disney fans. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez wrote the music for this film, and producer Peter Del Vecho liked the music here so much that he championed the studio to bring back the duo to write the music for a little film called Frozen just two years later. They ended up taking home the Oscar for Best Original Song for "Let It Go" and basically ignited a worldwide phenomenon, so good call, Del Vecho! One major addition to the classic songs from the original films is that Tigger is actually mentioned in the theme/opening song. The Lopez duo did not stop contributing to the film after their music was written, however. Kristen went on to provide the voice for Kanga while Robert provided various noises that were used for Pooh's stomach rumbles throughout the film.
Favorite Character: As I wrote in my review of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, selecting one character for this section is a near impossibility. I genuinely love all of these characters, but yet again, I cannot pick against Winnie the Pooh. He is simply a legend, undoubtedly one of the greatest animated creations in cinematic history. In Winnie the Pooh, Pooh is still the tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff we grew up loving, and while he is still fiercely determined to track down his precious honey, Pooh does something in this film that surprisingly adds some layers to his character. He has arrived at Owl's house, and he literally has his coveted honey in his hands ready to consume and enjoy. Yet, upon listening to Owl's story about his discovery of Eeyore's long lost tail (although Owl hilariously has no clue it is Eeyore's tail), Pooh begins to wrestle with whether or not he should dive head first into this glorious pot of honey, or help his friend Eeyore out by returning his tail to him pronto. In an unexpected twist, Pooh chooses the latter, abandoning his honey to help a friend in need. It is the perfect way to end this film as the story is therefore resolved and Pooh is the unrivaled hero. Of course, Christopher Robin finds out about Pooh's good deed and bestows upon him a giant pot of honey, which acts as a joyous conclusion for a heartwarming character starring in an exuberant film.
Favorite Scene/Song: The hand drawn animation aspect of Winnie the Pooh is simply remarkable, and the pinnacle of the film's beauty occurs in my favorite scene with my favorite song. Upon receiving a letter from Christopher Robin indicating that he is gone but will be back soon, Owl interprets the message as Christopher has been abducted by a mysterious creature called the "Backson." Of course, the gang has no idea what a Backson is, but Owl sure does (at least in his imagination). He then proceeds to reveal all the treachery brought about by the Backson, and everyone is instantly mortified and scared for Christopher Robin's life. In an ingenious scene, we are transported inside a chalkboard as Owl literally draws out what motivates the Backson. The song accompanying this scene is a stroke of genius from the Lopez duo: quick witted, rambunctious, and insanely clever. Not only are the lyrics amazing, but for once, the entire Hundred Acre Wood crew gets to sing a song together, and I would be lying if I did not admit to this fact swaying my selection here quite significantly. There is just something special about seeing all of these iconic characters singing the same supremely entertaining number. This song leads the gang to devise a plan to capture the Backson and free Christopher Robin in one of the most beautiful and fun scenes of the modern Disney era.Updated Ranking: Winnie the Pooh is a forgotten gem of the third Golden Age. Do yourself a favor and seek it out.
- Beauty and the Beast
- The Lion King
- Aladdin
- Tangled
- The Little Mermaid
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Peter Pan
- Cinderella
- The Jungle Book
- Sleeping Beauty
- Lilo & Stitch
- The Princess and the Frog
- Hercules
- Mulan
- The Emperor's New Groove
- Tarzan
- Pinocchio
- Lady and the Tramp
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Alice in Wonderland
- Dumbo
- Bambi
- 101 Dalmatians
- Pocahontas
- Treasure Planet
- The Great Mouse Detective
- Fantasia
- Winnie the Pooh
- The Many Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
- The AristoCats
- Fantasia 2000
- Meet the Robinsons
- The Rescuers Down Under
- Fun and Fancy Free
- The Fox and the Hound
- Robin Hood
- Bolt
- Dinosaur
- Melody Time
- The Three Caballeros
- Saludos Amigos
- Brother Bear
- Oliver & Company
- The Rescuers
- Atlantis: The Lost Empire
- The Sword in the Stone
- Make Mine Music
- The Black Cauldron
- Chicken Little
- Home on the Range
Tomorrow, Pixar gives the world its first female protagonist in Brave!
-Cody Fleenor
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