Animation Celebration Saturday - Piglet's Big Movie

Disney, 2003

Voices of John Fielder, Jim Cummings, Andre Stojka, and Kathie Soucie

Directed by Francis Glebas

Music and Lyrics by Carly Simon

After the success of The Tigger Movie, Disney opted to spotlight another one of Pooh's friends from the Hundred Acre Woods. Sweet little Piglet is Pooh's best friend and is relatively popular in his own right, but is it enough to carry a feature film? Let's begin with Piglet (Fielder) working on his scrapbook as his oddly dressed friends make their way past his window and find out...

The Story: Piglet is upset when his friends don't invite him to help them get honey from a beehive. He tries to join them, but they say he's too small. Even when he's the one who traps the bees, they don't notice it. Disappointed and dejected, Piglet takes off. The others use his scrapbook of memories to find him, and in the process, remember three great adventures where Piglet helped them out...and realize how much their porcine pal means to them. 

The Animation: Not bad for a Pooh cartoon. There's a few CGI effects that look pretty decent even now, notably those bubbles that Piglet appears in during the segment with Kanga and in the finale. The colors are soft, with more detail in the backgrounds than usual for Pooh movies. 

The Song and Dance: I suspect this is less "Piglet's Big Movie" than Disney adapting any original Pooh stories they hadn't gotten to yet. As such, it's adorable. Of the three segments, the first with how the gang met Kanga and Roo is probably my favorite, but their trip to the "North Pole" and building a house for Eeyore are really cute, too. Fielder gets to have fun showing both the small, scared and the braver sides of Piglet, and Soucie makes a lovely, warm Kanga. Simon's music is warm and lovely; I'm especially fond of the catchy "With a Few Good Friends." 

Favorite Number: We open with Cary Simon performing the original "Winnie the Pooh" over the credits as Piglet draws in his scrapbook and the others head off to get that honey. She reprises it in the end in what appears to be a live-action music video just before the credits with her playing guitar in a country setting. Simon also sings about what Piglet wishes he could do "If I Wasn't So Small." Kanga sings about how a "Mother's Intuition" tells her that Piglets are not Roos. She's joined by the Hundred Acre Woods crew as they go on their search for the North Pole in "Sing Ho for the Life of a Bear." 

Piglet and Pooh happily sing about what they do "The More It Snows" and why they love their homes. Simon reveals how "With a Few Good Friends," Piglet and the others are able to build Eeyore his own home. The others realize that "The More I Look Inside," the more they miss their porcine buddy. It's "Comforting to Know" that, even though they lost his old scrapbook, they can still make new memories with him.  

What I Don't Like: Adorable and fun as this is, it lacks the heart - and dark edges - that Disney got into Tigger Movie. It feels more like three episodes of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh strung together by the thin framework of Piglet's scrapbook than a full-length movie. It's barely feature-length. There's also some continuity glitches with the earlier films. Kanga and Roo were already there when Tigger arrived in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, but here, he's a member of the crew when they move in. 

The Big Finale: Highly recommended for families with young children who are fans of Pooh and/or Piglet, or want to see a lower-key animated movie.

Home Media: The DVD is in print, but can be pricey. You may be better off streaming this one. It can be found on Disney Plus with a subscription. 

DVD

Disney Plus

Valentine's Short Subject Special - The Bernstein Bears' Comic Valentine and Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You

Let's kick off the season of romance with two "bear-y" good specials from the 80's and 90's. These animated shorts on the funny side of love, featuring some of literature's favorite bears, will melt your heart during this long winter. 

The Bernstein Bears' Comic Valentine

NBC, 1982

Voices of Ron McLarty, Pat Lysinger, Knowl Johnson, and Gabriela Glatzer

Directed by Mordecai Gerstein and Al Kouzel

Music by Elliot Lawrence; Lyrics by Stan Bernstein

The Story: Sister Bear (Glatzer) loves love, and she's a huge fan of Valentine's Day. Brother's (Johnson) only interest in February is hockey season. The Bear Country Cousins are going up against their rivals the Beartown Bullies. He tries to concentrate and practice, but it's hard with someone leaving him mysterious valentines signed "Honey Bear," and seeing the lovely Charlene (Glatzer) everywhere. Meanwhile, Papa Bear (McLarty) wants to show the depths of his feelings for Mama (Lysinger), but as usual, Mama reminds him that simple gestures are better than all the grand statements in the world. 

The Animation: Not the flashiest, but that's not to be expected of a TV special from this time period. The characters can be a little stiff, but the animation does at least somewhat resemble the characters in the books, which is probably all that matters for this franchise. 

The Song and Dance: All of the Bernstein Bears specials have their fun moments, this one included. It's hilarious to see Brother claim he's not interested in love, then moon over Charlene. Papa and Mama's roles are somewhat downplayed compared to the other specials, but Papa gets a few good gags in his attempts to carve mountains to show how much he loves his wife. I love whom the massive mystery goalie on the Bullies turns out to be, too!

Favorite Number: We open with the Bear Family describing what they do during the seasons "In Bear Country." "Love Is," Mama's sprightly number explaining how love is a lot simpler and more intimate than carving up mountains, is also heard under the closing credits. Brother derides Valentine's Day as "All That Mush," even as his little sibling skates heart rings around him. 

What I Don't Like: As mentioned, I sort of wish Mama and Papa had more to do. Their roles are somewhat downplayed compared to some of the other specials and the early books these are inspired by. 

The Big Finale: If you or your kids are fans of the earlier Bears books or the cartoon series, you'll want to check out this adorably funny hymn to love in all its forms. 

Home Media: Currently on DVD bundled with a few episodes of the 1980's TV series. 

DVD - The Bernstein Bears: Kindness, Caring, and Sharing

Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine For You

Disney/ABC, 1999

Voices of Jim Cummings, Paul Winchell, John Fielder, and Ken Sansom

Directed by Keith Ingham

Music by Micheal Silversher; Lyrics by Patty Silversher

The Story: Pooh (Cummings) and his friends are shocked when they find Christopher Robin (Brady Bluhm) writing a valentine for a girl named Winifred. Owl convinces them he's been bitten by the "Smitten" bug, and the only way to undo it is to find another one to bite him again. They all chase after what they think is a "Smitten" and get lost, only for its glow to lead them back to each other and to Christopher Robin. Pooh sees how happy the boy is and can't bring himself to unleash it on him...but Christopher reminds him that there's always room for all kinds of friends, old and new.

The Animation: While it does move slightly better than Comic Valentine, it's still nothing flashy. Once again, all this needs to do is somewhat resemble the artwork in the books and move well enough to get the job done. 

The Song and Dance: The last Pooh holiday special on TV to date is sweet and charming, and maybe even a tad dark compared to some of the other specials. The look on Pooh's face in the end when he releases the "Smitten" after he thinks he's lost his best friend is heartbreaking. On the other hand, we get the very funny search for the "Smitten," and this is one of only two holiday specials to give Owl a major role. 

Favorite Number: Owl warns Pooh and his pals what happens when "The Smitten Bites," in a sequence reminiscent of the later "Backson" number in the 2011 Winnie the Pooh. Christopher Robin ends the show with a lovely ballad explaining how there are "Places In the Heart" for all friends, old and new.

Trivia: The last time Paul Winchell voiced Tigger. 

What I Don't Like: This time, we have Owl and are missing Kanga and Roo. They're only seen as stuffed animals in the opening. As mentioned, this is neither the first, nor the last time Pooh and his friends went on an adventure when they thought something took Christopher Robin away from them. This seems to have been somewhat inspired by Pooh's Grand Adventure, where they were worried about the boy being trapped in "skull," and would crop up again in Winnie the Pooh. 

The Big Finale: Charming and adorable, this is worth checking out on Valentine's Day for younger children and Pooh fans.

Home Media: To date, this is the only Pooh holiday special to be available on DVD and streaming in its original half-hour format, without a direct-to-home media movie surrounding it (including its release on Disney Plus). The DVD is packaged with two additional New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh shorts, "Un-Valentine's Day" and "The Three Little Piglets." 

DVD - Special Edition

Disney Plus

Happy New Year's Eve! - A Very Merry Pooh Year

Disney, 2002

Voices of Jim Cummings, Peter Cullen, John Fielder, and Ken Sansom

Directed by Jamie Mitchell, Gary Katona, and others

Music and Lyrics by various

We end 2022 with our final visit to the Hundred Acre Woods. This is the last Pooh holiday direct-to-home-video "movie" I hadn't gotten to yet. We've seen how Pooh and his friends celebrate Easter, Thanksgiving, and Halloween. This gives us a two-for-one holiday, as we not only get to see the gang enjoy Christmas, but New Year's as well. It also continues the theme of Rabbit or someone else canceling a holiday when it doesn't go the way they planned. How does that work with the winter holidays? Let's begin at Pooh's house as he hides his present for Piglet and find out...

The Story: Pooh heads over to Rabbit's to decorate their shared tree. Roo's worried about Santa not being able to come. The others tell him the story of the Christmas before, when Pooh forgot to add what he wanted on their list to Santa. He retrieved it, only to be unable to send it back. Pooh and Piglet first try to play Santa themselves, but when the gifts they make their friends are less-than-perfect, Pooh vows to deliver the letter himself. The others are thrilled at first, but Piglet, and later, Christopher Robin, finally reminds them that their dear friend is more important than any gifts. 

Though this Christmas largely goes well, Pooh can't find Piglet's gift, and Tigger gets on Rabbit's nerves with his jingling bells. Pooh keeps looking for his buddy's present right up until New Year's Eve. Christopher Robin explains about New Year's and resolutions, inspiring Pooh to ask Rabbit if they can have a party at his place. Unfortunately, Pooh's distracted by honey, Piglet hides, and Tigger bouncing too much to actually ask. Fed up with them being inconsiderate and nearly breaking the carrot he's trying to grow to restart his garden, Rabbit claims he's leaving the Hundred Acre Woods. The others try to change their personalities to please him...but after they rescue him, Rabbit finally admits he likes his friends the way they are.

The Animation: As with most entries in this series, it's nothing flashy, but it gets the job done. Everything moves pretty well, and they even recolored Rabbit and redubbed Christopher Robin in the Christmas Too segment to make the special blend in better. I love how the animators made each character switch personalities, with Piglet getting giggly and bouncy, Tigger stiff and freaked out, Eeyore attempting to walk on two legs, and Pooh slumped over and gloomy.

The Song and Dance: If the flashback sequence is familiar, it's the 1991 Pooh Christmas special Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too. Yep, this is another Pooh "movie" that's really a special with new material written around it. At the very least, it manages to use of more characters than the Halloween and Easter films, with Gopher and Christopher Robin appearing in Christmas Too and the New Year's party, and Christopher being the one who tells Pooh about the New Year. 

The New Year's segment is pretty funny, too. It's hilarious, seeing Pooh become gloomy and Piglet bouncing and Tigger being scared and Eeyore trying to walk on too legs and eat honey. 

Favorite Number: We open with a version of "Jingle Bells," as Tigger bounces with his new bells and the others decorate the tree. Pooh happily sings about "Snow Snows" as the others make snowmen and snowboard and Tigger continues to annoy Rabbit with his jingling. Pooh sings about a "Happy Pooh Year" after Christopher tells him about the holiday, and that there's "No, No Honey for Me" when he's trying to be Eeyore. The movie ends with Tigger and Rabbit making up and everyone singing "Auld Lang Syne" at Rabbit's house.

What I Don't Like: I wish Disney could just release these specials on their own, without the added filler. Not only was the Christmas special edited, but it and the New Year's segment have nothing in common with each other, other than revolving around winter holidays. The story for the New Year's segment even first appeared on The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. At least they gave Rabbit more of a reason for acting like a jerk this time. They shouldn't have invaded his house without his permission. And how does Owl keep getting left out? He's the only one who isn't seen, even in the Christmas segment, or even mentioned. 

The Big Finale: Cute enough way to pass an hour before midnight on New Year's if you're a big fan of Pooh and his friends. 

Home Media: Easily found on disc and streaming. Disney Plus has it for free with a subscription.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Disney Plus

And...happy New Year! Here's hoping all of you have a safe, happy, and musical 2023!

Animation Celebration Saturday - Pooh's Heffalump Movie

Disney, 2005

Voices of Jim Cummings, Nikita Hopkins, Kyle Stanger, and Kath Soucie

Directed by Frank Nissen

Music and Lyrics by Carly Simon

Since I did the Halloween direct-to-video sequel last week, I figured I might as well do the original as well. Like The Tigger Movie, Disney originally made this for home video, then released it theatrically when they saw the results. Was this worthy of being show in a theater, or should it have been caught in a heffalump trap? Let's begin in the Hundred Acre Woods as everyone's sleep is noisily disrupted and find out...

The Story: The sound of a trumpet awakens everyone in the Hundred Acre Woods. All of the residents are terrified, except little Roo (Hopkins), who thinks it's cool. Everyone is terrified, especially after Roo finds a set of giant footprints. They're all determined to catch and trap the terrible Heffalumps, but Rabbit says Roo is too young and insists he stays home. Roo goes out on his own to find himself a Heffalump the next day. 

He does find a Heffalump, but not only is it a baby, he's not terrifying at all. Actually, little Lumpy thinks the citizens of the Hundred Acre Woods are the scary ones. He and Roo run around and become fast friends, but they make a mess of Pooh's house and Rabbit's garden in the process. The others are more convinced than ever that there's a horrible Heffalump loose among them. It takes a rescue from a cliff with help from Lumpy's mother to convince them that Heffalumps are just like them. Only bigger.

The Animation: Once again, it's nothing flashy. It gets the job done, and that's really all that's needed with the Pooh films. There are some nice backgrounds, especially when Pooh and the others discover the havoc Roo and Lumpy accidentally wrecked on Pooh's home and Rabbit's garden.

The Song and Dance: Awww. Roo and Lumpy's friendship is even more adorable here. Stanger and Hopkins are too funny for words, especially when Roo "captures" Lumpy and he's thrilled about it. This is a full, original movie, so there's no random special turning up mid-way through that takes the focus off their charming and growing relationship. The others get some funny bits early-on when they're freaking out over the idea of Heffalumps in the woods, too.

(And don't leave before the end credits! We get some more hilarious bits, including Rabbit teaching heffalumps to fix his garden and Christopher Robin meeting Lumpy.) 

Favorite Number: We open with Simon's rendition of the original theme from "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" as she introduces each character. "The Horribly Hazardous Heffalumps" shows how the citizens of the Hundred Acres Woods badly fear these creatures...except Roo, who just wants to catch one. Kanga sings the sweet lullaby "Little Mr. Roo" to soothe her son to sleep. Lumpy and Roo play "The Name Game" as they try to figure out each other's names when they meet. "Shoulder to Shoulder" is the song for Lumpy and Roo's friendship, and it's heard twice, in a montage when they're playing together, and again in the end after the big rescue. 

What I Don't Like: Once again, this is played strictly as children's fare. It lacks the rougher edges in earlier Pooh films like The Tigger Movie and Pooh's Grand Adventure. Christopher Robin is seen in the end credits, but Eeyore's missing through much of the film, and Owl isn't even mentioned. 

The Big Finale: It's too bad Lumpy and his mother haven't been seen since the end of the toddler TV show My Friends Tigger and Pooh in 2010. I would like to have seen where else Disney took their darling friendship. Highly recommended for fans of Pooh or Roo, or of the later films. 

Home Media: Unlike the Halloween sequel, this one is easily found on disc and Disney Plus.

DVD

Disney Plus

Happy Halloween! - Pooh's Halloween Heffalump Movie

Disney, 2005

Voices of Jimmy Bennett, Kyle Stanger, Jim Cummings, and John Fielder

Directed by Elliot M. Bour and Saul Andrew Blinkoff

Music and Lyrics by various

Let's spend Halloween at the Hundred Acres Woods for the last Pooh holiday movie to date. After the Pooh films of the late 90's and early 2000's often got too dark for their audiences, Disney started writing in additional characters to gentle things down. Pooh's Heffalump Movie came out earlier in 2005, adding Lumpy, a sweet-natured Heffalump who befriends Roo, to the cast. How does Lumpy's second outing look nowadays? Let's start at Piglet's house, as everyone tells spooky stories in preparation for Halloween, and find out...

The Story: While they prepare their costumes, Tigger tells everyone the story of the Gobloon, who turns his victims into "jaggedy-lanterns." If you catch him, you get a wish. Roo convinces Lumpy that they should find the Gobloon when Pooh eats all the candy and trick-or-treat may have to be canceled. They make a map that follows Tigger's story, but when it comes to catching the Gobloon, poor Lumpy's too scared. Roo tells him the story of how Piglet found it in himself to be brave the previous Halloween. When Roo finds a pumpkin that looks like his friend and thinks he's been taken by the "Gobloon," he finally knows what he really wants for Halloween - a best friend by his side. 

The Animation: Not the best from Disney's low-budget Disneytoon Studios. Normally, that works with the simple world of Winnie the Pooh, but there's a few continuity glitches here (the candy bags Pooh empty magically refill later), and some of the shadows and special effects don't look so good, either. On the other hand, the characters move pretty well, and Lumpy in particular is so huggable, I'd love to find a stuffed toy of him. 

The Song and Dance: Lumpy and Roo's adorable relationship is so much fun to watch in the first half. I love seeing Roo trying to help his friend, and how Lumpy eventually overcomes his fear. The middle segment is the Pooh TV Halloween special Boo To You, Winnie the Pooh, and it's equally fun, with a bit of a dark side in Piglet's fears and the shadowy animations. 

Favorite Number: We open with "Trick or Treating With Our Friends" as Roo and the others explain to Lumpy how much fun that is. Lumpy and Roo create their map and costumes as they sing about how they're "Brave Together." A whimpering Piglet tries to encourage himself with "I am Not Afraid" during the Boo To You segment. Also in Boo to You, Tigger claims that he likes to "Scare Himself," and he can't understand why Piglet doesn't. 

Trivia: Final film for Piglet's long-time voice artist John Fielder. He died during production. Travis Oates finished his work and became the next voice of Piglet. 

What I Don't Like: As cute as Lumpy and Roo are, I wish we saw more of the rest of the gang. Roo mentions Owl and Gopher is seen in the Boo to You segment, but Christopher Robin is nowhere in evidence. On one hand, I am glad they created an original story around Boo to You, instead of stringing three random shorts together as in the Thanksgiving compilation Seasons of Giving. I just wonder why they felt the need to create movies around the holiday specials at all. The dark-ish Boo to You doesn't really fit in with the somewhat sweeter Halloween Heffalump Movie, and it's obvious it was added as padding mid-way through. 

The Big Finale: Cute enough if you have little kids who will enjoy Lumpy and Roo's antics for an hour before trick-or-treating, or if you enjoyed Pooh's Heffalump Movie. Completely unnecessary for anyone else. 

Home Media: Oddly, not currently on Disney Plus (though Pooh's Heffalump Movie is). It is on DVD and can be found streaming elsewhere.

DVD

Amazon Prime (Rental Only)

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Tigger Movie

Disney, 2000

Voices of Jim Cummings, Nikita Hopkins, Ken Sansom, and John Fielder

Directed by Jun Falkenstein

Music and Lyrics by Richard and Robert Sherman

We depart the sun-drenched isles of Hawaii for a brief detour to the Hundred Acre Woods. By the late 90's, the Pooh franchise was mainly the realm of TV shows and direct-to-video adaptations. And indeed, this was originally supposed to go direct to DVD, until then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner heard the music and thought it deserved a theatrical release. Was he right, or should this be stranded in a snowstorm? Let's begin with Tigger protesting that the movie's about him, not Pooh, and find out...

The Story: Tigger is disappointed when none of his friends want to bounce with him. Trying to find someone to bounce with only ends with him dropping a boulder on Eeyore's house. He does no better attempting to get the boulder off and sends everyone into the lake or a tree. Rabbit angrily scolds him for being careless and reminds him that they aren't Tiggers.

That makes Tigger wonder where all the Tiggers are. Why doesn't he have a family, like Owl or Kanga and Roo? Roo wants him as a big brother, but he's too busy trying to find his relatives after Owl talks about his "family tree." To bolster his spirits, the others write him a letter...but it makes Tigger believe his relatives are coming to visit. His friends dress as his "family" and try to pass as Tiggers, until Tigger catches wise. Now they have to find Tigger out in the snow, before they lose their favorite bouncing buddy. 

The Animation: For the most part, this one sticks with the original visuals as they appeared in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh...and that's as it should be. This is one franchise that doesn't need fancy visuals. There are a few instances of CGI, such as the snowflakes and that big avalanche towards the end, that stick out like sore thumbs. (The snowflakes are particular offenders.)

The Song and Dance: Disney seemed determined to take the Pooh franchise in a somewhat darker direction in the late 90's and early 2000's. Along with the direct-to-video Pooh's Grand Adventure, this is the best of their more "mature" Pooh films from that time. Who knew Tigger could be this heartbreaking, especially when his search for his family proves fruitless midway through the film and after he finds out his friends lied about his family existing. Many people complained about Cummings replacing long-time Tigger voice artist Paul Winchell, but Cummings does just fine. Hopkins is nearly as good playing sweet little Roo, who worships Tigger and just wants a big brother. 

Favorite Number: We open, of course, with Cummings reprising Tigger's signature "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers" as he requests a movie focusing on him. He admits that he longs to bounce with "Someone Like Me" after the others turn down his requests to bounce with him. Roo's the only taker, leading him to teach the little Joey the powerful "Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce" that sends them rocketing all over his living room. "Pooh's Lullabee" is a charming lullaby Pooh sings to put the bee to sleep, so he can gather honey. 

Tigger tells the others about great Tiggers through history "'Round My Family Tree" in a wild, surreal routine that has him oddly making several pop culture references. The others teach each other "How to Be a  Tigger" and behave like his real family when they're getting ready for the party. Kenny Loggins collaborated on (and performed) the heartfelt ballad "Your Heart Will Lead Me Home" over the end credits.

Trivia: Paul Winchell was supposed to play Tigger, but the studio thought his voice was too raspy. He was dropped and ended up retiring in 1999.

The Sherman Brothers' first Disney movie since Bedknobs and Broomsticks in 1971 and the first theatrical Pooh film since the short A Day for Eeyore in 1983. 

What I Don't Like: This actually feels a little too dark for the Pooh franchise at times. That avalanche near the end does give Tigger and Roo a reason to work together and be heroes, but it also seems out of place in the gentle world of the Hundred Acre Woods. Not to mention, there's some very emotional scenes for this franchise, with Roo upset that Tigger won't be his brother and Tigger spending half the movie utterly despairing over not having a family. You may want to offer a hand to your littlest ones to hold during these sequences. And frankly, the moral about your family being the ones you love, not just your actual family unit, is put across with all the subtlety of Tigger's Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce.

The Big Finale: One of the better Pooh films, particularly if you or your children are fans of Tigger and/or Roo.

Home Media: Easily found on disc and streaming; is on Disney Plus with a subscription.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Disney Plus

Happy Easter! - Springtime for Roo

Disney, 2003

Voices of Ken Sansom, Jimmy Bennett, Jim Cummings, and David Ogden Stiers

Directed by Elliot M. Bour and Saul Blinkoff

Music and Lyrics by various

We celebrate Easter with the citizens of the Hundred Acres Woods in the only entirely original Pooh holiday movie. Roo gets top billing, but resident bunny Rabbit is really the one in the spotlight. He learns an important lesson about spring and Easter, via a much-loved story that's usually more associated with Christmas than springtime. Let's start with little Roo (Bennett) as he explains to the narrator (Stiers) why he loves Easter so much and find out why Rabbit's more than a little out of sorts about spring this year...

The Story: No one is more excited about Easter than little Roo...which is why he's disappointed when he and his friends arrive at Rabbit's to find no Easter decorations. Rabbit declares it Spring Cleaning Day instead and orders the others to help clean his house. The others try to spruce up his quarters with Easter decorations, but he ends up furious with them for not doing what he told them to and chases them out. 

Roo can't figure out why Rabbit's so upset. He used to love Easter. Tigger goes to talk to him, only for Rabbit to insist even harder that he won't allow anyone to celebrate Easter anymore. The narrator takes things into his own, well, hands when he shows what happened the year before when Rabbit tried too hard to make Roo's first Easter at the Hundred Acre Wood perfect. When even that doesn't make Rabbit relent, he finally reveals how his current behavior is upsetting Roo...and what will happen in the future if he continues trying to control his friends and how they celebrate the holidays.

The Animation: Mostly par for the course for the Winnie the Pooh franchise. It's nothing flashy, but all this franchise needs is for the characters to move well and at least somewhat resemble the ones in the books, which they do here. There are a few decent effects during the "future" segment as well. 

The Song and Dance: This one gets points for originality. As mentioned, first of all, it's the only Pooh direct-to-media holiday film with no added filler from TV specials or The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Second, there's some surprisingly good performances here. This is Samson's best outing as fussy Rabbit outside of the Kessie shorts in New Adventures, Bennett's charming as Roo, and Stiers lends gravity and even a hint of menace as the narrator. 

This also makes better use of Pooh and his friends being in a book than any Pooh media outside of the 2011 Winnie the Pooh film. They flash forwards and backwards in time via turning the pages in the book. Rabbit even gets stuck in the pages at one point.

Favorite Number: Tigger and Roo sing about how "We're Hunting Eggs Today" as they head to Rabbit's, only to find Rabbit has no intention of doing anything like that. "Sniffity Sniff" is Pooh's comic number as he tries to keep from sneezing while sweeping Rabbit's home, only to make a worse mess when he does let it out. Roo and Tigger are glad to share "Easter Day With You" when they help the others put up decorations at Rabbit's house. We see why Rabbit got upset the Easter before when he tries to get the others to play by his rules, because that's "The Way It Must Be Done."

What I Don't Like: Rabbit is such a jerk here, even by his standards, it gives this outing an unusually bitter tinge. The Christmas Carol theme in the second half, with the narrator playing ghost and showing Rabbit what will happen if he continues to alienate his friends, seems like an odd choice for this gentle series. Also, the focus is mainly on Rabbit and Roo, with Tigger bouncing in as well. We don't really get much of Pooh beyond his "Sniffity Sniff" number and complaining about Rabbit keeping his spring honey pot, and even less of Eeyore and Piglet. At least they're in the movie. Gopher, Owl, and Christopher Robin are missing, and aren't even mentioned. 

The Big Finale: The Christmas Carol second half is too weird to make this a favorite of mine, but it does have some things of merit if you love Roo, Rabbit, or the other Pooh holiday films. 

Home Media: Easy to find in all major formats. Disney Plus has it for streaming with a subscription.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Disney Plus

Happy Thanksgiving! - Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving

Disney, 1999

Voices of Jim Cummings, Paul Winchell, John Fielder, and Ken Sansom

Directed by Harry Arends, Jun Falkenstein, and Kari Geurs

Music and Lyrics by The Sherman Brothers and Michael and Patty Silversher

This is the first of three direct-to-video "movies" made up of episodes from The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, new material, and the Pooh holiday specials of the mid-90's. It's also one of the last projects the Sherman Brothers were involved in to date. How does Pooh's first holiday collection look nowadays? Let's start with Tigger as he's hoping for skiing weather and find out...

The Story: This is an anthology, so we have three stories.

Groundpiglet's Day: The pages of Rabbit's calendar have blown away, making Rabbit believe it's now Groundhog's Day. He and the others recruit Piglet to find out if they'll be having six more weeks of winter, or if spring is here. Piglet accidentally doesn't see his shadow, making the others believe spring is coming. Rabbit blows up at Piglet when he finds out otherwise, but eventually goes after him to make amends.

A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving: The citizens of the Hundred Acre Woods is ready to gather for their own Thanksgiving feast, with lots of honey and haycorns...until Rabbit butts in. No no, says the yellow bunny, that's not how a traditional Thanksgiving's done. With Piglet and Pooh recruited to catch the turkey and Eeyore and Tigger to find cranberries, this dinner's on a course for disaster, until Pooh remembers the real reason for the holiday.

Find Her, Keep Her: Rabbit explains how he rescued Kessie, a baby bird whom he found lost in a snowstorm, and raised her as his own child. It's hard for him to let go when she wants to fly south for the winter, but he comes to realize how important it is for her.

The Animation: Par for the course for the Pooh franchise and Disney TV and direct-to-home media animation of the 80's and 90's...and that's really how it should be. This is one franchise that doesn't really need fancy animation, just characters that look and move well enough and at least somewhat resemble the ones in the books. 

The Song and Dance: The last two segments alone make this worth seeing for Pooh fans. "Thanksgiving" is the third of four times in the Pooh franchise someone calls off a holiday to avoid hurting feelings or a lot of trouble...and cause even more problems anyway. Piglet and Pooh's attempt to find the turkey is funny and Tigger and Eeyore have a great number while looking for "cranberries," but I think Gopher's explosive attempt at pumpkin pie is by far the funniest bit in that short. 

"Find Her, Keep Her" is one of the best New Adventures episodes. It's hilarious and adorable to see how Rabbit goes from finding Kessie a nuisance to bringing her up as his own daughter...and utterly heartbreaking when he realizes that her learning to fly means she no longer needs his protection. It's so good, it almost makes up for the story having no real connection to the Christmas season. 

Favorite Number: The gentle Sherman Brothers title tune plays between shorts, connecting them with its sweet lyrics representing each season depicted in the segment. The remaining songs are all from the Thanksgiving special. Pooh announces "Hooray, Hooray" as he brings his honey pot to the big Thanksgiving feast and he sings of how happy he is for good friends and good food. Tigger says "Berrily We Roll Along" as he and Eeyore attempt to gather cranberries, only keep finding blueberries instead. The entire Hundred Acre Woods manage to get together for their own type of holiday meal in "Our Thanksgiving Day."

What I Don't Like: What the heck is "Groundspiglet's Day" doing here? First of all, other than a few good gags towards the end when Rabbit mistakes a pile of snow for Piglet, it's the least-interesting short in the batch. The jokey tone doesn't match the sentimental Thanksgiving special or the dramatic "Find Her" and doesn't work with the holiday theme, either. Not to mention, Rabbit comes off as even more of a jerk than in the other two segments, especially to Piglet. 

And yes, there's the fact that the holiday theme of this film is tenuous at best. It's also obvious that different actors were used for the new Christmas sequences bookending "Find Her" - most of them sound totally different than the original cast. 

The Big Finale: Charming Thanksgiving viewing for families with young kids or major Pooh fans who don't mind the twice-told origins and so-so opening short. 

Home Media:  Very out of print on DVD. Your best bet is streaming or looking for the DVD used.

DVD

Vudu

Animation Celebration Saturday - Winnie the Pooh (2011)

Disney, 2011

Voices of Jim Cummings, Travis Oates, Bud Luckey, and Craig Ferguson

Directed by Stephan Anderson and Don Hall

Music and Lyrics by Robert and Kristen Anderson-Lopez

Pooh was hardly idle in the 90's. In addition to the hit TV show The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the citizens of the Hundred Acre Woods appeared in four holiday specials, three theatrical films, and five direct-to-home-media features made around those holiday specials. Anderson and Hall opted to go back to basics for this one, in more than one way. It was their first traditionally-animated movie since The Princess and the Frog in 2009, and the first to use the actual Pooh stories since The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. How well did they do with the tale of Pooh and his search for honey, Eeyore's tail, and Christopher Robin, in that order? To find out, we start with Pooh in his home, as the narrator (John Cleese) wakes him up to a busy day...

The Story: Pooh (Cummings) is disconcerted to discover there's no honey in his home, so he goes out in search of some. On his way, he learns that Eeyore (Luckey) has lost his tail. Christopher Robin (Jack Boulter) holds a contest to find Eeyore a new one, with a pot of honey as the prize. Pooh tries, but his idea doesn't work out. Kanga (Kristen Anderson-Lopez) is the ultimate winner...but even her idea isn't quite right. 

Pooh, meanwhile, still has honey on the brain. He goes to Christopher Robin for help, only to find the boy missing and a note at his door. Owl (Ferguson) interprets the note to mean that the boy's been kidnapped by a horrible "Backson." The others set out to trap the Backson and rescue their beloved friend.

The Animation: Intentionally made to look like the sketchy animation of the original shorts and Many Adventures, but the characters move more fluidly, and there's some original touches. The pastel chalk drawings come to life on "The Backson Song" and Pooh's Busby Berkeley-inspired honey hallucination are especially creative. 

The Song and Dance: I love how this movie makes better use of Pooh being a part of a book than any other media featuring the characters. Pooh and the others trip over letters, ask about paragraphs and parts of a sentence, and even use them to escape the Backson pit near the end. It's also adorable how they all treat the red balloon that floats around throughout the movie like it's as much of a character as they are...and it does end up being a "hero" in the end. I also appreciate the book fidelity. They adapted three stories more-or-less straight from the original anthologies, with no additional characters as in other Disney Pooh stories. 

(Don't forget to stick around for the end credits! They're the best part. The first half recreates key scenes from the film with actual stuffed animals and toys, as the real Christopher Robin would have. The characters dance, run, trip, and swim around the words on the screen in the second half. There's also a final scene after the credits that's absolutely hilarious.)

Favorite Number: Pooh sings "The Tummy Song" when his is growling in the opening and he badly wants to fill it with honey. Zooey Deschanel croons about how finding Eeyore's tail is "A Very Important Thing to Do" as the citizens of the Hundred Acres Woods searches everywhere for his lost appendage, or something like it. "The Backson Song" uses Owl's scratchy chalk drawings to describe how terrible (and silly) the Backson is. "Everything Is Honey" to Pooh when he's so desperately hungry, he starts hallucinating that everything is honey. His imagination conjures up Busby Berkeley routines and bees swimming through sticky yellow stuff.

Trivia: The film was originally supposed to feature five unused A.A Milne stories, but it was eventually cut to three. 

Rabbits friends and relatives, who were often spoken of in the books, were supposed to be in the film, but their scene was cut.

What I Don't Like: Short and sweet...maybe a little too short. I wish they'd stuck with their plan and adapted five stories. It might have fleshed things out a little and given everyone more to do. At just a little over an hour, this is one of the shortest Disney "canon" animated films. It also has a lot in common with the lesser-known direct-to-home-media movie Pooh's Grand Adventure, including the idea of rescuing Christopher Robin from a monster. Grand Adventure not only does more with the premise, it digs deeper into the relationship between Pooh and his human and is a lot more thoughtful and touching. 

The Big Finale: That said, this version is much lighter and just as much fun. If you have very young Pooh fans, or younger kids who are ready for Disney movies, start them on this or Many Adventures. 

Home Media: Easy to find in all formats, including on Disney Plus with a subscription. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

Disney Plus

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Disney, 1977
Voices of Sterling Holloway, Paul Winchell, John Fielder, and Junius Matthews
Directed by John Lounsbery and Wolfgang Reitherman
Music by Richard M. Sherman; Lyrics by Robert B. Sherman

I'm back from my vacation hiatus with one of Disney's better efforts of the 70's. This anthology of the first three Winnie the Pooh featurettes was their first feature-length outing with the lovable residents of the 100 Acres Woods, a bucolic spot that exists in the imagination of a small British boy. How does his adventures with his beloved stuffed animal friends look today? Let's join Pooh at his home as he gets ready for his busy day and find out...

The Story: Actually, there's three stories in this film, starting with...

Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree: Pooh badly wants honey, and at first recruits Christopher Robin to help him distract the bees and get it from a tree. When that just lands them in the mud, Pooh turns to Rabbit and his pantry filled with honey. He overeats and, to Rabbit's horror, gets stuck in his front door. The rest of the gang helps him pass the time while he's getting thin again.

Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day: We're introduced to Piglet, who nearly blows away on a very windy fall day, Owl, whose tree house is blown over, and Tigger, who bounces in later in the day. While Eeyore searches for a new home for Owl, the others all deal with a huge storm...and Pooh deals with Tigger and his claims that "Heffalumps and Woozels" will steal his honey.

Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too: Tigger is driving Rabbit crazy by bouncing inconsiderately. He first tries to get Tigger lost in a fog, but he ends up lost instead. Rabbit finally gets his wish when the springy tiger bounces too far up a tree and can't get down...but after tells Tigger he can't bounce, finally learns how much fun a little bouncing can be.

The Animation: Not the absolute best Disney ever did...and in this case, it might actually be a good thing. The sketchy artwork does look a lot like the illustrations in the books, especially Tigger and Eeyore. The "Heffalumps and Woozles" segment gets a bit more creative, with brighter colors and surreal imagery ala the infamous "Pink Elephants On Parade" from Dumbo.

The Song and Dance: Disney's sweetest and most charming film, with some of it's most delightful characters. It's also one of their best literary adaptations. Even when they don't one-hundred percent stick to the books (as in the case of Gopher, the only additional character), they at least have the right gentle spirit.

Favorite Number: The most famous song from this one is probably the opening credits number that introduces the characters and who they are. It's likely the song that comes to mind when most people think of Pooh, and it shows off every character in their own gentle way. "Up Down, Touch the Ground" and "Little Black Rain Cloud" from Honey Tree tells us just how crazy Pooh is about honey and why he loves it so. "The Rain, Rain, Rain Came Down, Down, Down" is a catchy number for an unseen chorus as they explain the havoc the storm wrecked on the 100 Acres Woods in Blustery Day.

The other famous number from this one is Tigger's signature song, "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers." It's as bright, catchy, and bouncy as the effervescent Tigger himself. There's also Pooh's aforementioned nightmare, the spooky "Heffalumps and Woozels."

Trivia: This is the last Disney canon animated film Walt Disney had any personal involvement with. Honey Tree came out during his lifetime, and he worked on Blustery Day before he died.

A fourth short, Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, would be released theatrically in 1983. It's included with most current DVD and Blu-Ray releases of the film as an extra.

What I Don't Like: Wish the Sherman Brothers had stuck around long enough to do music for Tigger Too and Day for Eeyore. The songs in the first two shorts are so memorable and adorable, it would be great if there were even more.

The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Pooh, want to try a lower-key Disney film, or are introducing your youngest children to the worlds of Pooh or Disney, this is a great place to start. Highly recommended.

Home Media: As one of the most popular Disney "canon" animated films, this is easily found in all major formats.

DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime

Animation Celebration Saturday - Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin

Disney, 1997
Voices of Jim Cummings, John Fielder, Paul Winchell, and Ken Sansom
Directed by Karl Geurs
Music by Carl Johnson

I return from my vacation hiatus with probably the last movie anyone expected to see here. Some of the Disney Pooh films are semi-musicals, and this direct-to-video release from the late 90's is one of them. I know most people consider the Disney made for home media animated sequels of the 90's and early 2000's to be travesties, but this one is an exception, and a real overlooked gem.

The Story: On the first day of fall, Pooh awakens to find that Christopher Robin seems to be missing. He finds a honey pot with a note on it, but thanks to him digging into the honey and spilling it, the note is smeared. Owl translates it as Christopher Robin being sent to a terrible place called "skull." Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Tigger, and Eeyore head out into the Great Unknown beyond the Hundred Acres Woods to find him. Piglet's still afraid of everything, even butterflies carrying him away. Tigger questions his courage after he can't bounce high enough to rescue his porcine buddy. Rabbit doggedly insists on following Owl's map, despite it becoming more and more obvious that Owl made it up off the top of his head. Pooh just wants to find his human friend...and he's the one who inadvertently spurs them to work together when he gets lost in the Skull Cave.

The Animation: Not bad, for either a Pooh movie or a direct to video film of this time period. At the very least, it matches the colorful visuals of both the original shorts and the 1980's and 90's TV show The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The sequence with the butterflies in the green field and the venture into the Skull Cave are especially well-done.

The Song and Dance: This is surprisingly mature and touching for a Pooh movie, with several scary sequences before and during the Skull Cave scenes and Cummings' totally heartbreaking performance as a worried and lonely Pooh. Sansom as Rabbit, especially when he blames himself for Pooh's frustration, is also excellent. The "adventure" plot is a lot of fun, especially early-on.

Favorite Number: Pooh's "Wherever You Are," sung to a starry night as he admits how lonely he is, is one of the most heart-wrenching musical numbers in any Disney film, never mind a Pooh movie. Owl's "Adventure Is a Wonderful Thing," where he sings of the many dangers they will face (and that he won't be joining them to see), is also a lot of fun. The opening number "Forever and Ever," showing just how much Christopher Robin and Pooh enjoy each other's company, is very sweet, and nicely sets up how much Pooh loses when he's gone.

What I Don't Like: I kind of wish they'd gotten more characters in, including Kanga and Roo. Eeyore is present, but he really isn't used much besides to help out in the finale. This is basically a darker version of the later 2011 Winnie the Pooh theatrical release, and there's some surprisingly sad and scary imagery in this movie. Your littlest ones may need a hand to hold during some of the more upsetting scenes.

The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Pooh and enjoyed the 2011 movie or some of the 90's and early 2000's films like The Tigger Movie, you'll want to see if you can track this one down. Critics were harsh on it when it came out, complaining about the dark tone and it being too sugary...but that darkness is what makes it unique among Pooh media.

Home Media: I'm afraid my both my DVD copy and the Blu-Ray are out of print and insanely expensive at press time. Your best bet is streaming services like Amazon Prime.

Amazon Prime