Winnie the Pooh (DVD + Blu-Ray Review)

Dir: Stephen J. Anderson (Meet the Robinsons) and Don Hall (directorial debut)
Voices: Jim Cummings, Tom Kenny, Craig Ferguson, Travis Oates, Bud Luckey, Jack Boulter, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Wyatt Hall, John Cleese
USA, 2011

Reason to see: Gotta love Winnie the Pooh!

Ah, Winnie the Pooh. There is no way not to love the stuffed with fluff bear with good intentions, even if he is continually distracted by imagining the yummy of hunny, he always looks out for his friends and tries to do his part and he has ample opportunity in this 2011 classically animated film set in the Hundred Acre Wood that follows the everyday adventures of Pooh and his friends. There is a relaxed and simple beauty to the film that’s very comforting and warm, following the adventures of friends in situations that certainly have a playful but not frightful state of urgency, like the loss of poor Eeyore’s tail (OH, bother…).

I loved the gentle spirit of the film and how it was easily accessible with its good-natured spirit and how the Pooh, Piglet, Kanga and Roo all jump in quickly and easily to help out their friends. It's been a while since I've watched any Winnie the Pooh but it was also fun to sympathize with perma-blues of Eeyore, the high-brow intellectualness of Owl and of course the bouncy energy of Tigger - who was one of the only characters whose energy was just slightly different than I remember, he has the same flavour but just a bit of a different feel. And there is always Winnie the Pooh, who always seems to find himself getting into trouble whether he wants to or not. It's also refreshing to see the classic animation style which I really enjoyed.

It’s definitely one that will please the kiddies, and those of use who already know and love Winnie the Pooh. Although I do wonder about current day audiences reaction to a food-preoccupied protagonists, Winnie the Pooh does give us a classic, charming story with good intentions and great friendship. Very enjoyable.

DVD Extras:

• “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon”
• “The Ballad of Nessie”
• Deleted scenes (3 deleted scenes) introduced by directors, Stephen Anderson and Don Hall including “The Tummy Song,” “”Rabbit's Friends and Relations” and “Pooh Searches for a Tail”

BluRay Extras

• Exclusive bonus short “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon” – In this charming short, Pooh comes up with a daring plan to get a hold of some honey by fooling a group of bees. “The Ballad of Nessie” - The animated short film included in the theatrical release is the heartwarming tale of how Nessie found her new home in the Loch Ness.
• “Winnie the Pooh and His Story Too” – A fun and informative behind-the-scenes look at the film, designed for the whole family. Hosted by John Cleese (narrator of the film), and with occasional help from Pooh himself, this featurette explores Winnie the Pooh's history from his beginnings as a character in a book, to his continued life in the movies. The filmmakers reveal how they worked to keep the look of the characters and settings in this movie consistent with their first appearances on-screen in 1966. Pooh, being a bear of very little mind, finds much of this confusing, but the Narrator and the filmmakers make it all clear to Pooh – and you!
• Deleted Scenes introduced by directors, Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 5 deleted scenes including “The Tummy Song,” “”Rabbit's Friends and Relations,” “Original Eeyore Intro,”
• “Original Tigger Intro” and “Pooh Searches for a Tail”
• Sing-Along with the Movie – Follow the red balloon and changing word colors to seven song lyrics featured in the film.
• Disney Song Selection – “Winnie the Pooh Theme Song,” “The Tummy Song, “A Very
• Important Thing To Do,” “The Backson Song,” “It's Gonna Be Great,” “Everything is Honey” and “The Winner Song Finale”

Movie Download Extras:

• “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon”
• “The Ballad of Nessie”
• Deleted scenes introduced by directors, Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 3 deleted scenes including “The Tummy Song,” “”Rabbit's Friends and Relations” and “Pooh Searches for a Tail” and more

Winnie the Pooh is available on DVD as of October 25, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'd watch it again
I'd easily recommend it as a kids film & for Pooh fans

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© Shannon Ridler, 2011