THE MANY ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH: THE FRIENDSHIP EDITION
(G)
MOVIE: ***** (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ***** (out of 5)
STARRING
Sterling Halloway as WINNIE THE POOH
Paul Winchell as TIGGER
John Fiedler as PIGLET
Junius Matthews as RABBIT
Ralph Wright as EEYORE
Hal Smith as OWL
Barbara Luddy as KANGA
Howard Morris as GOPHER
Sebastian Cabot as NARRATOR
Directed by: John Lounsbery and Wolfgang Reitherman
Studio: Disney
BY KEVIN CARR
For years, I have complained that most of the Disney releases for the “Winnie the Pooh” titles are just repackaging of the old “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” television show from the 1980s. This is because while there were dozens of episodes of that show made, there were only four short theatrical releases.
Disney has given Pooh fans a great gift this summer – the re-release of “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” on DVD. This is the theatrical compilation of the first three releases – “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree,” “Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day” and “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too.” (Those looking for the fourth theatrical short “Winnie the Pooh and A Day for Eeyore” only have to look to the special features of this disc to find it.)
While “Blustery Day” won an Oscar, all three cartoons deserved it. These introduced the world to the Disney version of the stuffed bear with very little brain before it was pounded down in the television show. These are heartwarming tales with the favorite characters in their element. I remember seeing this film in the theater as a little kid, and watching it today takes me back to a simpler time.
The rough pencil animation and the classic voice cast makes this a must-own for any Disney fan… or anyone who has kids.
The new DVD contains all the special features from the 25th anniversary release (including a making-of featurette, art gallery, sing-along song of “The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers,” two set-top games and the “A Day for Eeyore” 1983 theatrical short). New to the DVD is a bonus episode of the new Playhouse Disney show “My Friends Tigger & Pooh,” which still doesn’t live up to these original classics.