Winnie the Pooh - Review

[Ult_Sm86]

Winnie The Pooh
Directors: Stephen Anderson & Don Hall
Based on Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
Starring: John Cleese, Jim Cummings, Tom Kenny, Craig Ferguson, & Bud Luckey
Walt Disney Animation Studios


It is always nice to get something fresh from Disney without them having to "Open the Vault" and re-release one of their classics. It seems more interesting to get a movie like Winnie the Pooh, which in its own rights is a completely original story, not directly a sequel to the 70's movies, and in no way a re-hashing or reboot of them either. Yet, at the same time, the movie keeps to the original feeling of innocence and warmth that the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh once did.

With a timeless story such as the one A.A. Milne gave us in his book, there really is very little room for updating the characters. However, Anderson & Hall found a way. Through dialogue that is both slightly edgier and a more upbeat soundtrack (performed by the lovely Zooey Deschanel and written by Robert & Kristen-Allen Lopez), the movie plays to a new generation of kids who have a much more demanding attention span. But at no point does Disney lose sight of the perfectly crafted characters.

With a tweak here and a tweak there, the dialogue between Pooh (Cummings) and his friends is far easier to sit through than what now feels like the sluggish script-writing of the 1970's children's film. Disney has made an art out of making movies for the Family rather than just a film you dump your kids to and take a nap during. Parents will find many of the jokes suited for all ages without the obnoxious intrusion of a dick or fart joke to break the perfect moment. In terms of a Pooh-Movie, you really can't ask for anything more. It plays out exactly as you would want it and there is not much room for a complaint. No serious charter flaws, no disappointing moments or lag in the story, and certainly one of the finest written Pooh-tales to be released since the original set.

The theme of putting others before yourself is strong throughout the story as we see Pooh and his friends join together to try to find a new tail ("tael") for Eeyore. From there, they soon discover Christopher Robin is missing and after Owl (Ferguson) deciphers the note Christopher left, he makes it clear that their good friend has been abducted by the terrible "Backson" (which includes a very fun musical number).

With the help of the wonderful addition of John Cleese as the narrator, the transitions flow seamlessly and there is very little down time in the storytelling. The songs are cute and short, and the animation is stellar. Like all traditionally animated movies by Walt Disney Animation Studios, this story includes wonderful backdrops and scenery as well as some of the best lighting and shading seen in animation.

Really the only studio that still does it right and will most likely continue to do so for long time, is Disney Animation. It is a bold stance to release a traditionally animated film, without 3-D, against some of the other big pulls for families this summer. But only they could have pulled it off and only one character could create the draw needed, and that character is the ever-trusting, ever-loving, ever-hungry, Winnie the Pooh, everyone's favorite silly, old, bear.


****

[Edited on 23/7/11 by Ult_Sm86]