Winnie the Pooh (2011) Review

The reason behind this film's creation got me pondering. What made Disney think that re-creating a classic in virtually the same shape and form as the original without any modernization or "slick" style done to it would bring in big bucks? Granted, I wish more reboots of classics were like that, but I always thought money was the only thing on Hollywood's mind. Before this film began, they showed a trailer for the Muppets movie set to be released Thanksgiving. Kermit pointed out that you don't have to be loved by everyone, and that perhaps being loved by one person is enough. It was then that I realized that perhaps Disney was not trying to bring in big bucks with this film (or The Muppets, for that matter). Maybe they realized that they already had big international hits like Tangled, Prince of Persia, and Pirates of the Caribbean, and with all of their leftover money, they could do something for the audience that doesn't populate the majority of the world. They could bring back some nostalgia for much older fans who love classics like Winnie the Pooh so much, while those older fans bring their kids along to introduce them to the same thing they grew up with. If you happen to be one of those older fans, let me assure you that this new Winnie the Pooh delivers the nostalgic goods in ways that you never thought would be done by today's standards.





The film follows (Who else?) Winnie the Pooh, as he goes on his usual hunt to fill his rumbly tumbly with honey. Along the way, he finds out that Eeyore has lost his tail, so he, Christopher Robin, and Owl gather up all their friends throughout the Hundred Acre Woods and hold a contest to see who can find Eeyore a new tail. After the contest is over, Pooh decides to talk to Christopher Robin about getting some honey. He paces over to Christopher's house only to find that he's not there and has left a note. Owl attempts to read the note and thinks that Christopher's been captured by a creature known as the Backson. So, they attempt to set  a trap for the Backson so they can get Christopher back. All throughout the film, Pooh keeps thinking about his stomach when he should be concentrating on helping his friends, and there's even a musical number where Pooh imagines himself in a land filled with honey.


The film manages to capture the personalities of the characters perfectly. We've already made it clear that Pooh's always hungry as usual, but they also manage to capture his curious and ponderous nature. Owl is not only intelligent and verbose, but he's also self-righteous, always saying how he's the best and brightest in the Hundred Acre Woods, and he even attempts to write his memoirs. Eeyore's depressed, Piglet is easily startled, Rabbit freaks out during every dramatic irony scene, Kanga is calm and peaceful, and Tigger is just as much of a silly nutball as he always has been. These writers did not miss a thing, and they're all pulled together in luscious 2D animation, and not that CG crap I keep seeing on the TVs at Target.


With just about every major animated release from Disney within the past two years or so, the one problem I've had is that most of the songs they write for them, while entertaining, aren't all that memorable or anything I'd come back to outside of watching the films themselves. If anything, the songs in Phineas and Ferb are much more memorable and re-playable than the songs in Tangled. With this one, it's not much different, but maybe that's just because the film has something to compare it to. The original Winnie the Pooh had some really catchy and memorable classic songs, and this one tries to match those songs up with some songs that honestly feel kind of forced. In the opening scene, you get a pleasant little rendition of the original's opening song, and honestly, the rest of the songs seem to serve no purpose other than to carry out the plot, like when Owl explains what the Backson is through song, or when Tigger sings about how great it is to be a Tigger when trying to make Eeyore "Tigger Two."


While it's not exactly perfect, Winnie the Pooh will certainly satisfy fans of the classic material and might even entertain those unfamiliar with that material. The plot manages to utilize the classic personalities of the characters while still being its own creation with only a few rehashed plot points. The animation is luscious, the songs, while not memorable, are entertaining, and the characters are loads of fun. It's not quite on par with the original film, but it's still worth checking out. Bring the kids; introduce them to what you grew up with, as it is definitely more appropriate for people their age than the new Harry Potter.