Winnie the Pooh is a brand new adventure of the famous bear with very little brain. The movie is based on three stories by the original creator A. A. Milne, much like the original Winnie the Pooh film. As an unnervingly strong fan of the original and annoyed by the various direct-to-video and television followups, I was skeptical going into the theater — but I’m happy to say that this is an excellent successor to the first Pooh story. As would be expected, nods to the classic abound throughout the film, from the brief live action opening (like the original) to the hilarious blending of the world with the metafictional narrative device of the storybook itself. The characters move around words and paragraphs, sometimes utilizing them as plot devices, and they often interact with the narrator (played with aplomb by John Cleese).
The story is simple, but enjoyable — moving along at a brisk pace until the 68 minutes have passed. Christopher Robin, the imaginative progenitor of the characters, leaves a note that he’ll be “Back Soon” — which is comically misinterpreted by the group that a horrible “Backsun” monster has absconded with their friend. Which inevitably leads to a classic set of hi-jinks and slapstick, with hilarity inevitably ensuing. A sideplot about Eeyore’s tail gets things started and winds up being the real story all along. Before the film, a short animated feature is shown called “The Ballad of Nessie” about the origin of Loch Ness. The lesson presented is essentially: It’s okay to cry.
The voice acting is quite good across the board – ever-present Disney voice actor Jim Cummings reprises his versions of Pooh and Tigger from the various television shows in his impersonations of the original voice actors, but the only other voice actor of note is the pleasant surprise of Craig Ferguson as the “wise” Owl, utilizing a mild British affectation. I was uncertain at first, worried about celebrity insertions (as is so common these days), but soon I practically forgot he was a famous comedian. Although this was helped by the warm and old-fashioned animation, mostly hand-drawn with one computer animated dream sequence reminiscent of old school Winnie the Pooh fantasies.
In general, everything is a loving tribute to the original film — only the new design of Christopher Robin was a bit off-putting to me, being a bit more cutesy than the first incarnation. But as he’s only in the film a little, it’s hardly an issue. There was only one obvious pop culture reference in the film, and so brief it could easily be missed by those not paying attention. This is not one of those films over-saturated with modern references to satiate the boredom of adults.
This is the family movie of the summer, with plenty of enjoyable moments for kids and parents alike (including a few jokes I have a feeling adults will particularly approve of). The musical numbers are clever, if somewhat bland at times, but the movie isn’t even long enough for kids to be bored. And the lesson in the end, if a bit unsubtle, is nice enough in the way it subverts expectation: Friendship trumps food. Not bad. Oh, and keep an eye out after the credits for a nice surprise!
And unlike some of the other “family” movies out recently, this is truly a movie for all ages to enjoy.
Clacked by Jeremy Fogelman 
on Jul 15, 2011 @ 09:00 EST5EDT
