Who doesn’t like Winnie the Pooh?
The beloved children’s character, which is licensed and marketed by the good folks at Disney, is an American icon. The use of the cuddly bear on everything from toys to food is prolific. He’s also been the start of many a Disney Channel half-hour series and even first-run motion pictures.
Despite the proliferation of Pooh properties, my kids and I have always been a bigger fan of the books. While the television shows and movies have all been fine fare for the young or young at heart, they miss some of the playfulness of their literary cousins. With the release of the all new Winnie The Pooh movie, that has changed.
The usual cast of characters – Pooh, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga & Roo, Piglet, Tigger and the evervesecnt Eyore – are back and this time they have something very important to do.
The film started off with an absolutely amazing rendition of the classic “Winnie the Pooh” theme song sung by one of my favorite singers and actresses, Zooey Deschanel.The modern twist with her classic voice really gave the opening an energy not usual to a Pooh film. Deschanel also sings and performs on a handful of other songs. I highly recommend the soundtrack.
Once into the story, we really loved the focus on the literary side of the Pooh legacy. Throughout the film, the characters and narrator interact on the pages of a book. That really underscores our families belief in reading to our kids at all ages. My three year old, who accompanied me to the screening, commented several times about this style and it made him want to read more Pooh books at home. The use of the words and letters as tools within the storytelling of the movie was also creative and different. I knew at that point it would be a “different” type of Pooh movie.
The story revolves around Eyore having lost his tail and the gangs effort, with the help of Christopher Robin, to find it. Hilarity, misunderstanding and good old fashioned sheninagins ensue with the usual fun outcome. The characters are representative of the types of people and personalities our kids will encounter so the lessons learned in working together despite our differences shines through. The calmness and steady gags, songs and laughs really make the short film (just over an hour) wiz by keeping the little kids attention throughout.
This “reset”, if you can call it one, shows to me that the Disney Animation Studio is getting back to some basics. Despite the success of its computer, 3D animated classics by Pixar (except the latest disaster that is Cars 2), Disney is getting back to creating calming and innocent films for kids in an increasingly busy world. The Pixar classics are great, but the simplicity and literary inspired new Winnie the Pooh movie is a refreshing change from the high-tech and over-the-top energy in most new animated features.
If you have younger kids and you’re looking for a great way to spend just a little time out of the summer heat, I highly recommend the new Winnie the Pooh movie. You’ll get cool in the theater but your heart will warm along with the rest of the gang in the Hundred-acre Wood.
Winnie the Pooh opens this coming Saturday July 15 at theaters everywhere. Check out the Pooh bear over on Facebook.
Note: I was given a free screening of this film because I’m a Klout influencer. I was under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about this company. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or company. http://corp.klout.com/perks/disclosure.
Good review bro. Pooh is classic. Screw that 3D crap.