Blu-Ray Review: WINNIE THE POOH Transports You Back in Time
WINNIE THE POOH’s theatrical release may not have broken any records, but this little film was a gem among some big budget clunkers. The film was made for fans of the original stories and previous series, but even if you had no idea who Winnie the Pooh was beforehand there’s plenty enjoy in the film.
Clocking in at just over an hour, it’s a quick, well paced children’s tale that works for both kids and adults. It stays true to the characters almost to the point where it feels like a story we’ve seen before. The writers fully understood the characters to the point that they were able to bring a fresh story while making it seem so familiar.
As for the Blu-ray, the animation is beautiful and is a definite must watch. 2D animation will always hold a special place in my heart over 3D and computer animation. In addition to the beautiful transfer of the film, the disc includes some fun extra features like “Winnie The Pooh and His Story Too.” The featurette recounts the history of the Winnie the Pooh stories, dating back to A.A. Milne’s short stories back in the early 1900s. Walt Disney recognized the heart and whimsy of these stories taken straight from a young boy’s imagination and bought the rights to create an animated feature. However, during the process Disney lost faith in the film and decided to have it as a second feature to another animated flick, as a way to cut loses. Then, of course it ended up surpassing everyone’s expectations and is now the children’s classic as we know it.
5 Deleted Scenes are included as well, with a brief intro before each from the director. Each where to watch, especially “Rabbit’s Friends and Relations”, but it’s obvious why they didn’t make it in to the final film. They slowed down the peppy pace to mull over things we either already know (like in Tigger’s Original Introduction”) or just expanded upon things that were unneccesary to the understanding of the story (like The Tummy Song).
The shorts included are definitely the highlights of the extras. The Ballad of Nessie, which aired before Winnie The Pooh in theaters, is a adorable tale of the Loch Ness Monster with a great takeaway lesson that sometimes it’s ok to cry and to just keep trying to find your home, your place in the world, and you’ll get there. The Mini-Adventures of Winnie The Pooh short is the classic tale of Winnie The Pooh pretending to be a black balloon to get in to some honey. This one short encapsulates all the things we love about Pooh - innocence on his quest for his one simple desire, honey. With a touch of humor and whimsy, you fall in love with Winnie the Pooh and 100 Acre Woods.
The Blu-Ray was just released on October 25, 2011.