As with everyone no doubt, I'm very happy to see Christopher Robin this Friday. But what makes so many people love Winnie The Pooh?
Well, the books are classics and written to where anyone can enjoy reading them. These cartoons started as just shorts before they were compiled into one movie and it's done so well you never probably knew. This was one of my favorite Disney tapes when I was young along with The Aristocats, The Jungle Book, and Toy Story so to me and no doubt many many others, they grew up watching Winnie The Pooh. And the joy and love I feel has never diminished over the years. So since the movie is in fact several shorts, each one simple and fun, plot is not necessarily important. Just adventures and happenings in the Hundred Acre Wood with Pooh and all his friends, told incredibly well with an abundance of fourth wall breaks, endearing characters, and a very slow and relaxed pace. I've made a theory that you can tell a lot about a person from who their favorite character is from Looney Tunes, Seasame Street, and Winnie The Pooh, because those are like childhood 101 everyone has watched these things at a young age and made an impression on them. And for the record mine are Taz, Cookie Monster, and Eeyore. These shows stick with us, we all have fond memories of them, and they can still be remembered with affection and fondness. For such a simple idea of a child and his stuffed animals as friends going on adventures, it hits home and is so endearing. The animation style is sketchy bringing storybook pictures to mind, the voices are memorable and wonderful, the stories are fun and can entertain adults, the humor again is basic but hard not to love. My absolute favorite joke which I dare not spoil, is found when you first meet Piglet and it is all due to the fact I never realized the joke until I was way older. It absolutely kills me. There's a wonderful Pink Elephants dream sequence which I loved as a kid and I think I may love it more now, the animation is so well done and the song is catchy. In fact, all the songs are great and I catch myself humming or singing them even now. The only bad thing I could ever say is, I feel they mixed the endings up. The last part, or short of the movie is totally fine but the one before that has a perfect ending that leads to the ending which is easily the best scene in the movie. I know it's nitpicking at best, but I honestly felt it would have worked better! You go from a lovely fun time high, to a very contemplative and deep low. The ending I won't lie, emotionally wrecks me. It's kind of hard to watch because it acknowledges the depressing truth of life, which I sincerely hope the new movie delves into because it would elevate it from a very good family film to one of the best. But we got one more venture into the Hundred Acre Wood before then, so I'll see you soon.