"Winnie the Pooh" Review by Tim

“Winnie the Pooh” is an interesting mix of old and new — the film is a return
to classic 2D animation and is a sequel to the anthology film, “The Many Adventures
of Winnie the Pooh.”

The movie goes to great lengths to tap into nostalgia: even the story is a
previously un-animated tale written by “Pooh” author A. A. Milne. The artistic style
and the voices have also been tweaked to mimic earlier adaptations, but for all
its reverence to past “Poohs,” not all things are as they were in The Hundred Acre
Wood.

Made 40-some years after the originals, this “Winnie the Pooh” features voice
actors from a new generation, but Jim Cummings proves himself a worthy successor
to Sterling Holloway’s Pooh. The new cast includes John Cleese as narrator, while
animator Bud Luckey fills in as the voice of Eeyore. Craig Ferguson plays Owl, and
strangely, Spongbob Squarepants’s voice actor Tom Kenny takes on the role of
Rabbit. At first Kenny’s casting didn’t make sense, but as the movie went on, it
became apparent that the voice of Spongebob was perfect as the Hundred Acre
Wood’s most neurotic resident.

In spite of its attempts to maintain continuity with the original
cartoons, “Winnie the Pooh” does throw in some updates here and there. Most
noticeable is the soundtrack, which seems to make a point of ensuring the songs are
entirely forgettable. From Zooey Deschanel’s airy, updated theme song to a scatting
of musical numbers, they fail to compare with the classic songs of the Sherman
brothers. Where voices and animation succeed in imitation, the music simply falls
short.

The movie is barely an hour long, so if you’re a hardcore fan of Disney’s
original “Pooh” cartoons, or have little kids who enjoy Pooh’s adventures, this movie
is for you. Otherwise, go see Harry Potter again.

3.5 HUNY pots out of 5!

Written by Tim
Edited by Aaron