Piglet's Big Movie

The newest addition to Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise is a soft, cuddly, thoroughly inoffensive ode to friendship designed for the six-and-under set. Less a unified narrative (like The Tigger Movie) than a series of short sketches in which the various A.A. Milne characters recall Piglet's past selfless acts while searching for the lost little porker, Piglet's Big Movie's moral--which should certainly appeal to wee ones--is that size doesn't matter when it comes to doing good deeds. The tone is sweet and the rhythm slow--even the periodic “action” sequences have a gentle, unthreatening quality--while the animation, in the characteristic plush pastels, is very attractive, even soothing. Carly Simon contributes a number of songs, that, while hardly instant classics, are jovial and melodic, even if the lyrics sometimes fall heavily on the ear. Parents searching for a pleasant, unassuming entertainment suitable for preschoolers could do a lot worse, and since many have grown up with these characters themselves, they're likely to enjoy this as well. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a “Sing Along with the Movie” onscreen lyric track, “Piglet's Book of Memories” game where viewers search the Hundred Acre Wood for Piglet's lost scrapbook pages, the four-minute 3D book “The World According to Piglet” with self-confident, morally sound “Pigletisms,” and DVD-ROM features (with coloring pages and a chance to make personal Books of Memories). Bottom line: a solid kid-friendly extras package for a fun film.] (F. Swietek)