From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Winnie the Pooh,” a delightful romp through the Hundred Acre Wood that is sure to entertain kids of all ages. This is the first new Pooh movie in 35 years! I received the Winnie the Pooh Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy from Disney Home Entertainment to review.
“The entire story takes place in the course of a day,” says director Don Hall. “It’s business as usual in the Hundred Acre Wood. Pooh wakes up absolutely famished and he happens to have no honey. So that sets him out on his journey, which is ultimately derailed-first by a contest to find Eeyore a new tail.”
Pooh later finds a note from Christopher Robin that reads: “Gone out. Busy. Back soon.” But then Owl misinterprets the note, proclaiming that the boy has been captured by a creature called a “Backson.” Soon, the whole gang is on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from the imaginary culprit. It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply hoped to find some honey.
I saw the movie at a special screening during BlogHer this past summer, and I couldn’t wait to share it with my kids, especially my 5 year old daughter. To my surprise, not only did she watch (and love!) it, but my 15 and almost-13 year old sons watched it as well and really enjoyed it. They got a kick out of John Cleese’s narration, Tom Kenny (the voice of Spongebob) as Rabbit, and Craig Ferguson as Owl. There’s a sequence where Pooh daydreams about a world made of honey that my oldest son thought was amazingly done.
One tip for watching this movie – watch the credits. ALL the credits, because not only do the characters interact with the credits, but then there’s another bit of the movie at the end that is a must-see. Trust me!
I was also thrilled to see that the digital copy, DVD, and Blu-ray are all packed with bonus features. Check these out!
Blu-ray Bonus Features:
- 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”.
DVD Bonus Features:
- “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”
Movie Download Bonus Features:
- “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon”
- “The Ballad of Nessie”
- Deleted Scenes introduced directors. Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 3 deleted scenes including “The Tummy Song,” “Rabbit?s Friends and Relations” and “Pooh Searches for a Tail”
The Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy of Winnie the Pooh
Connect With Me!