Winnie Pooh -Il compleanno di Ih-Ho

As a kid this short was important for two reasons: 1) Eeyore was a vital character and presence as a child because he was sad and, while told sometimes to try and cheer up, he wasn't forced out of his state (this kind of precedes Sadness from Inside/Out, but you get the idea). 2) I recognized the animation and the voices were different, subtly so, from the three shorts that made up the 'Many Adventures' feature, and this was the first time I realized that cartoons were not made at the same time (ie this was post Sterling Holloway's death). Small things, but I was a freak for Winnie the Pooh as a real little kid! (Hell, the first movie I ever saw and all) This is a wonderful short to watch and is a celebration of Eeyore as an essential part of the Pooh-verse: his dry sense of humor, his seriousness, and acceptance when surrounded by friends.

And yes, there are 'Pooh sticks'.

It's Eeyore's birthday, but none of his so-called friends have bothered to notice. Pooh has made a new game involving chucking sticks into the river to see which one wins in a race. He calls it 'Pooh Sticks'. Now, where I come from that particular noun means something completely different.

When Eeyore comes floating along they realize that he is more depressed than usual. When he reveals why the day is supposed to be so special they all run off to find makeshift presents and prepare a party. It actually works, and he cheers up.

A fine Winnie the Pooh short, with the great animation and wonderful backgrounds we've come to expect. It also keeps Christopher Robin to a minimum.

This is the last of the four Winnie the Pooh featurettes. It's not as good as the first three, but it is still enjoyable. One reason I'll tell you why it it not as good as the others is because almost the whole cast is different. But John Fiedler and Paul Winchell still gave their original voices to Piglet and Tigger which is a good thing. This film really focuses on Eeyore by the way. The music is really good too, and it really sets to the tone of Eeyore. So if you haven't seen this or the others yet, you're in for a treat. So please watch it for me and tell us how you like it.

P.S. Try playing Pooh-sticks yourself.

"Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore" isn't as good as the 3 earlier shorts but it's still likable.

The picture quality of this short is slightly inferior comparing to the earlier ones and that is part of the reason why it isn't as good.

Another reason is because most of the cast is different. Unfortunately we have no longer Sebastian Cabot, Junius Matthews, Barbara Luddy and Sterling Holloway. On the other hand, luckily we still have Ralph Wright, Paul Winchell, John Fiedler and Hal Smith in this short - and that's a good sign. Jim Cummings does a decent job as the voice of Winnie the Pooh, but Sterling Holloway was better.

This short is mostly dedicated to the gloomy donkey Eeyore.

However, he is feeling more miserable than ever for two reasons. First, because Tigger bounced him and accidentally threw him into a river. And second, because it's his birthday and nobody remembered that, which causes Eeyore to believe that nobody cares about him.

In a try to help Eeyore getting off the river, Winnie the Pooh accidentally throws a rock to his belly, nearly causing poor Eeyore to drown.

When Pooh finally finds out that today is Eeyore's birthday, he decides to give him a jar of honey as a present, while Piglet decides to give him a balloon. But accidentally Pooh eats the honey and Piglet breaks the balloon after falling.

Surprisingly, Eeyore enjoys the empty jar and the broken balloon. Another surprise is that Eeyore smiles. We never see him smiling.

In the meantime, Cristopher Robin returns and they all celebrate Eeyore's birthday with a new game named "Pooh Sticks". Of course that Tigger says "That's what Tiggers do best" and then he contradicts himself.

"Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore" is still a very enjoyable experience and luckily it is available as an extra in the 25th Anniversary Edition DVD of "The Many Adventures of Winie the Pooh".

These Winnie the Pooh's shorts/stories are also a great way to learn and see how valuable friendship is.

I do think out of the four Winnie the Pooh vignettes this is my least favourite, but it is fun to watch. It isn't as funny as the other three, though Tigger is still very funny, and the narrator just lacks the thoughtfulness of Sebastian Cabot.

That said, it is well animated, the voice acting especially from Paul Winchell and John Fiedler are without fault, and it is still very charming, and has a good story that just about engages the young audience.

The music is not so bad either, and the Pooh Sticks scene was inspired.

All in all, not the best our favourite bear has to offer, but worth watching. 8/10 Bethany Cox