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Title: Winnie The Pooh
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| CONSUMER ADVICE |
Parents, there is nothing offensive or scary in this gentle film. Recommended for all ages. |
I know I've said this a few times this year, but I'm going to say it again: I consider it some small miracle that a movie like “Winnie The Pooh” got made at all. That's not being redundant, that just means there have been more than one pleasant surprise this year, and these are surprises from movies that feel like they shouldn't even be a glimmer in a movie executives eye. This year we've gotten several animated movies. They've all be computer animated. Most of have been in 3D. Some of them (IE: “Rango”) seem strangely adult in nature, and not really suitable for the family audience it's selling itself to. This is why a movie like “Winnie The Pooh” is such a refreshing change of pace: It's hand drawn, 2D, and the biggest dilemma the movie puts in front of us is whether or not Pooh will get his honey at the end of the day.
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Oh bother, what's a poor bear to do? His film seems woefully ill equipped to compete with all the noise in theaters. Yes, I said it: Noise. Watch “Cars 2” and tell me that you could get around all those quick cuts, booming explosions, and quick chatter. Could you even relax and enjoy a movie like that? In this film everything is deliberately paced. That's not to say it's slow, just that it's confident in itself that it doesn't feel people will get bored. The movie is short. Only about 69 minutes including credits, which seems about right. It's long enough for the kids and short enough for the adults. There are several small stories that get properly spaced out so that it feels like one movie, but that there are several different adventures. The main focus on the movie involves Pooh, who simply wants some honey but has difficulty in obtaining it.
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This is because his friends need his help in their various adventures. There's a chance that Christopher Robin could have potentially been kidnapped by a monster called the Bacson. Tigger wants to turn Eeyore into Tigger 2 and have a bouncing buddy. Also, Eeyore's tail has gone missing, and his friends must find a new one. Speaking of Eeyore, is it just me, or does he come off as clinically depressed? Never mind. “Winnie The Pooh” feels shockingly retro and nostalgic. This is to the films benefit. I get restless with some of the kids films I see, wondering how hard it could be to make a kids film innocent but entertaining enough for adults. “Winnie The Pooh” proves that not only is this not an impossible feat, but it can actually be done very well to boot. Why, its so traditional the characters even interact with the book they themselves are in.
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My favorite scene involves the characters trapped in a pit in the ground, with the timid Piglet as the only one who can help them out. The film is simple and non-cynical, but watch how the joke just continues to build until it becomes a hoot. This is the sort of deliberate pacing to build up a memorable scene that many other animated films fail to understand these days. Are kids going to see this? Hard to say. I hope they do. I hope parents take them because not only will their kids see something that is “scary proof” regardless of age, but because it's a fun film in its own right. The watercolor paintings are beautiful, the characters remain true to their roots, and it's not too long so it doesn't overstay its welcome. I know that many will be flocking to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II,” but hopefully once that movie is finished people will move on to the small, gentle treasure playing on the screen down the hall.
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