Winnie the Pooh

Christopher Robin's enchanting childhood days return to the big screen as Disney animators and directors Stephen J. Anderson and Don Hall deftly reconstruct A.A. Milne's classic, complete with pastel re-creations of England's Hundred Acre Wood, as depicted in Ernest H. Shepard's original illustrations. Opening with Zooey Deschanel's version of the catchy Sherman Brothers' title tune, the story unfolds over one eventful day, beginning with Pooh awakening hungry for honey. As the narrator (John Cleese) explains, Pooh's belly leads the lovable bear (voiced by Jim Cummings) out the door, only to discover that his gloomy friend Eeyore (Bud Luckey) has lost his tail. Eager to help, Pooh, Tigger (Cummings again), Rabbit (Tom Kenny), Piglet (Travis Oates), Owl (Craig Ferguson), Kanga (Kristen Anderson-Lopez), and Roo (Wyatt Dean Hall) launch a contest to see who can find Eeyore a new tail—and, to Pooh's delight, the prize is a fresh pot of honey. But then the animals discover that Christopher Robin (Jack Boulter) has left a (misspelled) note, indicating he'll be “Back Son,” which Owl misunderstands, proclaiming that poor Christopher has been captured by a ferocious creature called the Backson, and urging the troupe to come to his rescue. Actually drawing from three of Milne's tales, Winnie the Pooh marks a welcome cinematic return for the long-beloved silly old bear. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (9 min.), the animated shorts “The Ballad of Nessie” (6 min.) and “Mini Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Pooh's Balloon” (3 min.), “Crafting the Perfect Winnie the Pooh Nursery” decorating tips (3 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are a “Winnie the Pooh and His Story Too” featurette (9 min.), two more deleted scenes (6 min.), a sing-along option, and a bonus DVD copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a winning family film.] (S. Granger)