Winnie Puuh

I was able to see a special screening of this movie at the L.A. Film Festival and I was very excited for it. For starters, I'm a huge Winnie the Pooh fan and the 1977 animated movie is one of my favorites. However, even though I was very excited to see it I was a bit worried that this might be a disappointment because I heard the running time for the film was less than an hour. Well, while watching this movie my worries were pushed to the side. I loved everything about this movie and in the end I was quite pleased with the length of the film and when I thought about it I'm not sure why that was a worry for me. Winnie the Pooh isn't not something that can be stretched to 90 minutes without having some major filling and this movie had none.

There have also been some talks about the animation and how it's in 2d and that is one of the reasons I was excited. Winnie the Pooh wouldn't work in any other type of animation and so Disney made the right choice in returning to the 2d for this movie. The characters all look great, especially Eeyore and Christopher Robin. Another thing that surprised me about the movie was how every character was well represented. I was worried that the story might not focus on all the characters and that some would be left out. However, that was not the case. Every character has their fair of great moments, from Eeyore's tail contest to Rabbit's silly antics later in the movie.

I think another reason why this film succeeds is because of the story line. There is plenty of going on, but it doesn't get overstuffed and it doesn't drag. The movie starts off on the characters looking for a new tail for Eeyore and smoothly transitions into the characters trying to rescue Christopher Robin because they miss read the letter he left at his house. The voices for all the characters are great and it's another reason this film succeeds. Everyone involved adds something to each character and truly makes it their own, something a lot of other animated movies fail at.

Lastly, the score for the movie was great and really added something special to the scenes that carried the movie and hearing Zooey Deschanel sing the Winnie the Pooh theme song was terrific. When I think back on it there was nothing that disappointed me in this movie and it was everything I could ever want from a Disney movie

Going to see this movie was like stepping back into childhood. I had the 1977 movie on VHS when I was young and I wore that tape out with countless viewings. I was also a big fan of the cartoon show than ran during the nineties and the many direct-to-video films that came out around that time too. So I already walk into this movie with nostalgia on my mind - knowing roughly what to expect, and the film delivers pretty much what you've seen before.

It follows the structure of the 1977 movie mostly, telling three different stories over the length of the film. Which may have worked in 1977, but today if you cut the film apart into these three sections you could just release them as specials on the Disney channel.

The voice work is as good as it needs to be. Jim Cummings is enigmatic as always and Bud Luckey is a nice addition as Eeyore. It's not Disney's best dubbing job but far from their worst.

The film is far too short, there was definitely time for another story should there have been one. 70 minutes shouldn't really be acceptable for a cinema release, under any circumstances.

All qualms I have with the movie are overshadowed by its innocence and joy. Children who go to see this movie may love it, but adults may love it more.

Winnie the Pooh is a marvelous and innocent adventure that has been anticipated by me since its trailer debut. Every time I see the trailer, equipped with the wonderful song "Somewhere Only We Know," I break down. There is not a thing sad in the trailer, but just the soft melody of the song, combined with warm and vibrant characters from my younger years just puts me in tears. It's cute, innocent, and just the way I wanted it.

I am beyond grateful that this didn't support the 3D epidemic sweeping our nation these past years. Winnie the Pooh is made up of hand-drawn animation that gives itself a water-color sort of look. It's truly a throwback, and is a nice break from all the CGI animation that, while nice to look at, can't match the feel of classic animation. I couldn't imagine Winnie the Pooh in CGI anyway.

Before the movie, we get a short called The Ballad of Nessie, a kind and gentle Loch Ness Monster who lives with her rubber-ducky. Her pond gets taken over by a golf company and she is forced to move out and find a way home. The short is sad, and well crafted simultaneously. Combined with gentle narration.

On with the film, the story starts out as Pooh (Cummings) trying to find some "hunny." Then, much to the surprise of everyone, Eeyore's (Luckey) tale has gone missing. Christopher Robin (Boulter) holds a contest with all his friends to find a new tale for Eeyore. Whoever finds a good enough tale will win a jar of honey.

The next day, the gang still tries to find the tale when they find a note from Christopher Robin saying "Gon out back soon C.R." Owl (Ferguson) convinces the gang that the "back soon" means "The Backson," a vicious monster who does so many unexplainable things which they make up on their own. So now it's up to everyone to go into the woods and find The Backson and get their friend back.

There is a lot of singing in the film. Lots of well composed songs are in here, my favorite being "The Backson Song." I wasn't under the impression this was a musical, but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. The target audience for this is most likely between 4-8. So to put in a lot of soft and melodic songs in it was a good idea.

Winnie the Pooh is perhaps the most gentle film I can remember. Even the "scariest" scenes won't freak out the little ones, and everything is so calm, so tender, and so unobtrusive it's wonderful. Growing up with Winnie the Pooh, this film was everything I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be nostalgic, warm, and inspiring.

During moments of this film, my eyes watered. I can't answer if someone asked me "Why?" I think it was because the film was so joyful and very sweet. Plus, these are characters that I've known since my childhood. I was grateful they didn't play the song "Somewhere Only We Know" from the trailer. I would've broke down in front of everyone.

The voice acting is beautiful. The film doesn't market its actors either. There is no grade-A "Brad Pitt," "Ellen DeGeneres," "Johnny Depp" marketing scheme here. The actors who voice the characters were chosen because they were fit to voice whoever they were able to. They weren't picked because their names look good on a poster.

This is probably the best Disney film in years. It goes back to everything that made Disney so great when they started off. Hand-drawn animation, a lovely story line, and a positive feel. Even at an incredibly short sixty-nine minutes, (minus, maybe, five from the beginning short) Winnie the Pooh is lovely, crafty, and limitless.

Voiced by: Jim Cummings, Tom Kenny, Craig Ferguson, Travis Oates, Bud Luckey, and Jack Boulter. Narrated by: John Cleese. Directed by: Stephen Anderson and Don Hall.

"Winnie the Pooh" is not just another classic animated book transformed into a live action movie. Pooh and crew know exactly where they belong; in classic 2D animation leading to a flawless transcription of these characters to contemporary times. "Pooh" does not trying to impress anybody and avoids falling into modern day pop culture stereotypes, instead it is simpler than ever making no better way to spend an hour of authentic entertainment for all ages. The story follows the ideals of the original 1926 book by A.A. Milne originally made into animated productions starting in 1966 told in the definitive page by page storybook form. Narrated by John Cleese ("Monty Python"), Pooh (Jim Cummings, "Princess and the Frog") begins his day like any other. After sleeping in, he wakes up to an empty honey jar inevitably initiating a quest for honey. On the way he runs into Eeyore (Bud Luckey, "Toy Story 3") who is still as downtrodden as ever and misplaced his tail giving Pooh another task to complete. The issue is brought up with the rest of the gang; Tigger (Also Jim Cummings), Rabbit (Tom Kenny, "Meet the Robinsons"), Owl (Craig Ferguson, "How to Train Your Dragon"), Kanga (Kristen Anderson-Lopez), Roo (Wyatt Hall) and Christopher Robin (Jack Boulter). They decide to make it a contest to find Eeyore a replacement tail. After their creativity runs out, Christopher Robin goes missing sending the bunch into song as they find their friend, Eeyore's tail and "huny" for Pooh.

Anyone who grew up with "Pooh" will be instantly transported back to a humbler time through this short and sweet snippet of flawless storytelling. The most important accomplishment of the film is staying true to its routes because of its ability to create context. What do I mean by context? Its simple; from its primary coloring, delicate characterization, stark banter, and tranquil plot, everything is coherently joint together. It is a franchise true to itself and is the best movie parents have had in years to take their little ones to. Its just plain old' harmless, straightforward fun without any unnecessary forced plot conflicts or hang-ups on contemporary spectacle.

Many people may feel short-changed because of the hour runtime, even though this is part of what makes it what it is. This is not a monumental life changing film by any means; therefore, if you are expecting a film synonymous with "Toy Story 3" you will be very disappointed. In the contemporary eye of animated cinema "Winnie the Pooh" does not stand a chance at making money.

A perfect little tale everyone young and old should see at some point because while "Pooh" will not make history, it is a historical flashback to the early days of cinema.

Winnie the Pooh is out of honey. Eeyore has lost his tail. Owl is writing his memoirs and suggests a reward for a replacement tail. Christopher Robin takes Pooh's suggestion of a honey pot for the reward. After many attempts, Kanga knits Eeyore a tail which later unravels. Pooh finds Christopher missing and a note at his doorstep. Owl misreads the note leading the group to think that Christopher has been captured by a monster called Backson.

This movie maintains the sense of play from the Pooh franchise. It is the stuff of childhood. It's fully connected to its book origins with the familiar style. It is traditional and what great traditions they are. Disney is not reinventing the wheel as much as giving it a good wash. It's adorable. The animation is old fashion but a little crisper than the older versions. It recreates what makes the old stories so beloved.