When I first heard about Winnie the Pooh, Disney’s sequel to 1977’s The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, I immediately realized that it would come out the same weekend as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
How could I choose between the bear I’ve loved all my life and the
wizard who took me on a magical literary journey lasting nearly a
decade?
I do question the wisdom of Disney releasing Winnie the Pooh
on that particular weekend, when any box office revenue would be
dwarfed by one of the most anticipated movies in recent memory, but
perhaps the thought was that it would fill the niche of children too
young for Harry Potter. I was only able to catch one of the movies
opening weekend, and I couldn’t resist the allure of Harry, but I caught
up with Pooh and his friends this weekend. His adventure is far shorter
and simpler, but it’s just as enjoyable in its own breezy way, at least
for a lifelong fan like me.
It surprised me to hear Winnie the Pooh
described as Pooh’s first time on the big screen since the 1970s. Other
Pooh movies have been released in theaters, featuring the same basic
look and several of the same cast members as Pooh’s first Disney outing,
so I’m not sure why this one is considered so fundamentally different.
Then again, it does feel more closely tied with Many Adventures,
given the strong presence of the narrator and the frequent interaction
with the book in which the stories reside. One scene makes particularly
clever use of some letters that tumble into the tale.
There’s
nothing revolutionary about this movie. Life in the Hundred-Acre Wood is
very simple, with just a few basic problems that plague its residents
time and again. Hence, Eeyore losing his tail is familiar territory, as
is Owl misreading a note from Christopher Robin and sending everyone
into a panic, Piglet facing his fear and Pooh running out of honey.
Because of the leisurely pace and the repetitive nature of the stories,
my guess is that many adults will find it a bit on the snoozy side
despite the mere 70-minute length, and some kids might as well. One
family in my showing actually left halfway through. You have to go into
this movie with a certain mindset, accepting that its driving events are
not going to be very adrenaline-inducing.
The movie reprises a
couple of established songs and introduces several others, though most
are short and forgettable. The most memorable is a fearsome description
of the Backson, the beast that has allegedly kidnapped Christopher
Robin. This sequence, accompanied by chalkboard illustrations, has a
trippy edge to it reminiscent of the Heffalumps and Woozles
sequence in the original film. The characters’ imaginations run away
with them as they dream up all the dreadful things this monster does,
and the song seems to invite post-movie creativity from children in the
audience.
All of the voice actors are expressive and fit into
their roles well, but most of the cast is new for this movie, and the
differences take some getting used to. Jim Cummings continues to inhabit
the role of Pooh perfectly, and he does an admirable job with Tigger as
well, but Travis Oates’ voice is distractingly high as Piglet. The tone
is about right, but the pitch makes it sound like he’s on helium. He’s
been playing Piglet on My Friends Tigger and Pooh and related
specials since John Fiedler’s death in 2007, but this is my first
encounter with the new Piglet, and he hasn’t quite won me over yet. Tom
Kenny takes over for Ken Sansom as Rabbit for the first time, and his
voice sounds decidedly off as well. Bud Luckey fares better as
despondent Eeyore; aside from sounding a bit too Southern at times, he
seems like a good match for Peter Cullen. Wyatt Dean Hall is fittingly
spunky as Roo, while Jack Boulter is a more refined but still boyish
Christopher Robin, Kristen Anderson-Lopez makes a very maternal Kanga
and John Cleese is a predictably fine narrator.
The standout
cast member for me, though, is Craig Ferguson, who seems to be having
the time of his life as the grandiloquent Owl. Having often watched
Ferguson’s rambling monologues on The Late Late Show, I would say
that the character is an ideal fit with his style, and I can’t help
wondering whether he had the same sort of free improvisational rein that
Robin Williams did with Aladdin. Owl similarly steals the show,
getting most of the best lines and generally making more of an
impression than any other character, even Pooh himself. Ferguson nails
the essence of the character, striking a perfect balance of
sophistication and silliness whether he’s composing his extensive
memoirs or delivering a rousing speech of encouragement to Piglet as he
embarks on a rescue mission that Owl could much more easily undertake
himself. His insistence on using complicated vocabulary is a running
joke throughout the movie as poor muddled Pooh tries to puzzle out his
meaning, and I found myself reminded of Trixie Belden scratching her
head over the overly complex proclamations of her older brother Mart.
I’d love to see those two try to talk each other under the table.
While
most of the movie is more likely to elicit a nostalgic smile than a
hearty laugh, some scenes are quite funny, and most involve words in
some way. Pooh and Eeyore’s misunderstanding of Owl’s use of the word
“issue” and a discussion of knots that reminds me of Abbott and
Costello’s Who’s On First? routine are a hoot, as is the way
everyone’s speech becomes absurdly littered with the word “honey” when
the rumbly in Pooh’s tumbly gets to be too much for him to bear. This
movie paints Kanga as being easily annoyed by loud noises, which adds to
the humor and makes her more prominent than usual. It also seems like a
sly nod to the parents in the audience who can probably relate all too
well with her desire for a little peace and quiet.
The movie
also emphasizes the consideration the characters have for each other.
When they believe Christopher Robin to be in danger, everyone steps up
to the plate to help. When Eeyore gets left out of the main contingent’s
plan to rescue him, Tigger takes him under his wing. Piglet braves the
spooky forest and Pooh puts his craving for honey aside for the sake of
their friends. That pervasive spirit of camaraderie, even more than the
idyllic scenery and the lackadaisical lifestyle, is what makes the
thought of a sojourn in the Hundred-Acre Wood so appealing.
Disney
tends to reward viewers patient enough to sit through the credits, and
that’s certainly the case here. To the tune of a charming new song by
Zooey Deschanel, the credits roll, complete with animated tidbits as
Pooh and his pals interact with the names scrolling down the screen.
There’s even a final funny scene at the very end of the credits that is
well worth the short wait.
Before the movie, meanwhile, we’re treated to The Ballad of Nessie,
an old-school-style short warmly narrated in rhyme by Billy Connolly.
Given Ferguson’s prominence in the movie – albeit with an upper crust
British accent rather than his natural Glaswegian accent – I wonder if
he was a factor in deciding to pair the film up with this short, which
is largely a celebration of stereotypical Scotland. With a rustic,
bagpipe-laced score reminiscent of Ashokan Farewell and nods to everything from thistles and tartans to golf and Braveheart,
it has great appeal for those who love that country as much as I do.
Nessie, with her rosy cheeks, long eyelashes and vaguely Wookiee-like
voice, is adorable, as is her rubber duck companion, and the takeaway
message is a worthwhile one.
My showing of Winnie the Pooh
had an audience of about a dozen, and I doubt that was too atypical. It
doesn’t have the same sort of blockbuster draw that Harry Potter or
even a typical animated Disney feature does; despite the popularity of
Pooh products, most consider the movies themselves to be the realm of
the very young. However, if you’re still young at heart and if you ever
wished you could blink yourself to the Hundred-Acre Wood for a day, I
suspect you will find this outing with Pooh and his friends a pleasant
return to beloved company.
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