Winnie the Pooh

Literally, from the ‘pages’ of A. A. Milne . . .

Swift shot:  Look, I am not heartless, despite what some may think, and I was hoping this would revive the inner toddler within me.  I took my toddler to this screening, first time since the failed attempt with the Igor screening where I had to remove him from the theater several times.  So, I was anxious about this one; the film earned one glowing mark of praise, my three year old loved it – it kept his attention throughout and he was never bored. Having said that, I think 3-5 is the ideal age to view this classic tale, retold in our modern, go go, now now era.  Any younger and you are gonna have a restless squirmer on your hands, any older and you are gonna have an incredibly bored six year old to contend with in a, somewhat, crowded theater.

I have always loved the Winnie the Pooh characters, and Disney always does a great job with everything they touch – save a few exceptions, of course.  But, what I really loved about this film was how the story was told, it is subtle that the story is actually a fiction based on some stuffed animals in a child’s room.  Then we see an aged storybook, with Milne’s name on the front and John Cleese’s voice takes us to the Hundred Acre Wood, where we are introduced to a slumbering Pooh bear.  How Cleese wakes him was imaginative and, dare I say, had a modern “touch” that I can see being tied into some merchandising gold soon.

From there we meet the rest of the gang one by one residing in the Hundred Acre Wood, with all the wonderful characters we have grown to enjoy since the mid-twenties.  I was shocked to see that no less than eleven writers are credited on this film, including Milne, of course.  Each character managed to add something unique to the story, and they were genuinely portrayed as I remember them.  Eeyore was always my favorite, but the first runner up has to go to Owl, voiced by Craig Ferguson – the know-it-all who really knows nothing at all, not much of a stretch for him, really.

Because of a very simple misunderstanding, the kind a very small child might make, the friends all find themselves on an adventure which starts out by trying to find Eeyore’s missing tael.  But as Christopher Robin soon goes missing, the gang is convinced there is a terrible monster lurking in the Wood that has captured him.  I won’t spoil anything, because you need to go into this one knowing nothing to keep your adult mind entertained.

What I really enjoyed was how the story was being told as if it were a story book world, as the image above displays, the letters from the story are actually incorporated into the film, a rather novel concept, wouldn’t you agree?  Oh, bother; I can’t avoid puns anymore than Pooh can avoid honey.

After seeing this film, you MUST stay seated after the incredibly colorful end credits, there is a predictable yet wonderfully handled coda. If you miss it the first time, I am sure you will see it when you are back soon.  I hope Disney will keep up their quality work and keep making these kinds of films, to paraphrase a line from my favorite film, to let us be little again.

And, the short about Loch Ness before the film – – – the less said about that, the better.  I didn’t care for it, and while the message was clearly that it was ok to cry, I felt there was another anti big business, even theme park, theme strewn throughout.  Disney needs to tread gently there, wouldn’t you agree?  Still, for a child of three to five, this is a winner, and if you come out of this one NOT craving Huny, or Hunny, or Honney, or any variation of the wonderful golden goo – I’d call you a big fibber.  And, if you do get some honey, won’t you please share it with your favorite, willy, nilly, silly old bear?