Winnie the Pooh Review: This Silly Old Bear Turns A Charm

Let’s put it this way: I don’t remember the last time Winnie the Pooh was a major part of pop culture. Sure, the adventures of Eeyore, Roo, Tigger, Piglet and this “silly old bear” have been in the subconscious of this nation since Disney brought this franchise to feature films way back in the 1960s. And with a succession of TV shows, movies, and books to follow up, it’s safe to say that Pooh and friends won’t be forgotten any time soon. And with the release of the franchise’s newest film simply titled Winnie the Pooh, Disney reminds us why our favorite philosophical bear should always stick around because frankly he’s one in a million.

Winnie the Pooh follows the titular bear as he lives out one very important day down in 100 acre woods. Upon waking up from a very pleasant honey related dream, Pooh learns that he’s all out of his beloved honey. Tummy rumbling and guiding the way, Pooh decides to go out and ask his friends if he can burrow some honey. Pooh first turns to Eeyore, the perpetually depressed donkey whose glum life just got a little sadder when he learns that he has lost his tail. With the help of Christopher Robin a contest ensues in which the friends (Pooh, Rabbit, Owl, Piglet, Kanga, and Roo) all try to find a replacement tail for Eeyore, the winner receiving the prize of a pot of honey.

As the friends look for a tail for Eeyore, Pooh goes to visit Christopher Robin only to find no Christopher Robin and a note that says “Gone Out Bizy Back Soon.” Unable to read, Pooh goes to Owl to decipher the note from Christopher Robin where the seemingly wise bird incorrectly interprets the note to mean that Christopher has been abducted by a creature called the “Backson.” This sends all the animals out in a tizzy as they try to come up with a plan to find and capture the Backson and free Christopher Robin. But when their plan to capture the imaginary Backson goes awry, leaving poor Piglet as their only defender what will happen to Pooh and Friends? Where is Christopher Robin? And whatever did happen to Eeyore’s tail?

Winnie the Pooh is as charming as every commercial says it is. Seriously, just look at the trailer or even the poster for the film; this movie is just as awesome as that. Incredibly adorable, funny, and charmingly sweet, Pooh is a rare treat in a film that is just simple pleasure. There are no tricks here, no angles; just a simple story told about the most endearing group of friends. There’s Pooh, the honey obsessed bear (voiced by Jim Cummings,) down on his luck Eeyore (Bud Luckey,) the very learned and wise Owl (Craig Ferguson,) Pooh’s timid sidekick Piglet (Travis Oates,) the mother-son pairing of Kanga and Roo (Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Wyatt Dean Hall respectively,) frantic Rabbit (voiced by Tom Kenny,) and who could forget the wonderful Tigger (Cummings) and Christopher Robin (voiced by Jack Boulter.)

Winnie the Pooh is a timeless movie that will delight all ages. The young ones will enjoy the fantastical creatures who manage to get into the most imaginative of trouble, older viewers will love the nostalgic memories that Pooh invokes. All viewers will giggle and hurray with Pooh as they trip through the story of one important day. True to Disney cartoons, Winnie the Pooh is just as much narration as it is song. With such numbers as “Everything is Honey” and “Get You Tiggerized” fans will be nodding along to the inviting rhythm set by the characters on screen.

Pooh is set in a unique fashion, the film takes place in a story book with the characters all walking around amongst the words read through by a narrator (John Cleese.) This element just adds to the whimsical charm of the film which fans should appreciate.

And now to play Devil’s Advocate for a bit, as charming as this movie is, it is also COMPLETELY POINTLESS. Even watching the movie I wondered is this story going any where, I mean really. Is it? The answer is pretty much No. There are no true villains involved, no actual mystery to solve, we’re all just basically waiting for Pooh and Friends to catch on that there’s nothing wrong in their perfect world. Nothing. That being said, this journey just adds to the silliness of the film; it’s a bit like watching a puppy chase their tale around and around, it’s silly, adorable and oh so very sweet. I mean, come on, we all have days that we feel have gone nowhere, but it goes to show a lot that even in most ordinary these guys can pull off something endearing and fun with it.

Overall, Winnie the Pooh is a great film that will please all. Introducing the wonderful characters from our childhood to another generation, Pooh is funny and sweet in a way that is perfectly priceless. See it, see it and oh yeah, don’t forget to see it. After all, how often can you fall in love with a story about nothing?

Images courtesy of Disney and IMDb Pro.