Winnie the Pooh (2011)

Jules · Post by **Jules** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 7:21 pm

Have you guys been seeing the reviews it's been getting? Not bad, so far. I expected them to be less enthusiastic.

ajmrowland · Post by **ajmrowland** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:12 pm

Boy, I never realized how much CGI hate there was until viewing the pages for those videos.

Obviously, no real animator should ever hold such extreme biases for another medium.

Sotiris · Post by **Sotiris** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 6:35 am

DisneyJedi · Post by **DisneyJedi** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:40 pm

Well, it's about time they started airing any TV spots! Why such the long wait, Disney?! Why did you wait till the exact week that this movie was coming out?!

LucilleBallFilms · Post by **LucilleBallFilms** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 1:43 pm

The only theater in my town that's going to be showing the film is only showing it at 7pm, which means I can't go

Which means i'll have to go all the way to the next town to see it, where it's actually showing during the day, but they're only showing the film Friday on opening day, which also means I can't go. That's lovely..

Sotiris · Post by **Sotiris** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:00 pm

Animation World Network's Review
http://www.awn.com/blogs/ricks-flicks-p ... oh-2011-12

This might be the gutsiest release of the summer. Theatrical films geared toward the preschool and slightly above set are rarely made today. They usually dwell in the land of direct-to-video. Pooh is Disney's biggest merchandising producer. Every preschooler has something Pooh related in their room. But once the kid hits school, is Pooh cool? That's why this is a difficult sell. But those who buy a ticket will be transported into a simple timeless production filled with wit and whimsy.

Based on several of A.A. Milne’s original stories, the Disney writing team, which includes directors Stephen J. Anderson and Don Hall and five others, do a remarkable job weaving the narratives together in a cohesive singular story. Misunderstands create humorous tension, which drives the story forward. Milne’s rich characters and witty word play come through delightfully. When all of today’s children’s entertainment seems to be one big pop culture reference fest, it is refreshing to see something that has a literary base.

The production also keeps true to the classic visual style, having gone back to E.H. Shepard’s illustrations for inspiration and keeping the Disney look for the characters. In one great moment, Pooh is distracted by his rumbling tummy and walks right off the paragraph and into the next. Text itself plays a key role in the design. It also comes in handy to have a word or two when you find yourself at the bottom of a pit.

Part of the joy of WINNIE THE POOH is the characters. Pooh says he is a bear with little brains and that big words scare him. But what he lacks in common sense he certainly makes up for in heart. But that is countered with his manipulative side. He’s always trying to negotiate some hunny out of someone. Eeyore’s gloomy demeanor is the perfect counter to Pooh’s optimism. And he’s the complete opposite to the manic energy of Tigger (Jim Cummings). Who is remarkably animated by Andreas Deja. If animators could win acting awards, he should win one for his work here. Ferguson is great at giving Owl the know it all attitude when in reality he’s the dumbest of the lot. Piglet (Travis Oates) is the scaredy cat who lets his emotions mix things up for him. Rabbit (Tom Kenny, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS) is just exasperated by them all.

While the songs are forgettable (even the oh so sweet ones from actress/songwriter Zooey Deschanel), they never drown the film in honey. The highlight would be the Tigger transforming Eeyore into Tigger #2 number and the low point would be Pooh’s extended honey obsessed dream sequence. By that point in the film, we kind of already got the point that he loves the sweet stuff. Padding should be in Pooh’s sown up belly and not a 69 minute film.

The escapades the characters get wrapped up in are all based around naivety and innocence. Like children (they are the creations of one you know), they try to interpret the world the best they can, but sometimes they get it wrong. The scenarios are clever, cleverer than most adult comedies, which often use vulgarity as a blunt force against our funny bones. What WINNIE THE POOH accomplishes is much harder.

PS… stay till the end of the credits to discover Huell Howser gets a voice credit in the film.

David S. · Post by **David S.** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:10 pm

Nice review, thanks for sharing all the info, Sotiris. I'm really looking forward to this!

It's become a tradition for me to see new DACs and Pixar films at midnight Thursday in the very first screening. As it looks like there won't be any midnight showings for Pooh in my area (I guess because of Potter), I'll be there bright and early for the first show on Friday morning!

Sotiris · Post by **Sotiris** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:16 pm

David S. wrote:Nice review, thanks for sharing all the info, Sotiris. I'm really looking forward to this!

You're welcome!

Kraken Guard · Post by **Kraken Guard** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:22 pm

I know, this is probably a bit old by now, but..

So..?

Is the Horned King still going to make his appearance in the movie or what?

Yes, I still cannot get over that..

Seriously.. Why is it there?

Sotiris · Post by **Sotiris** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:38 pm

Kraken Guard wrote:Is the Horned King still going to make his appearance in the movie or what? Yes, I still cannot get over that.. Seriously.. Why is it there?

Because the "Backson" monster has horns.

Sotiris · Post by **Sotiris** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 3:40 pm

Eric Goldberg Draws Rabbit and the Backson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3J2xc2q4r4

Kraken Guard · Post by **Kraken Guard** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 4:44 pm

Sotiris wrote:
Kraken Guard wrote:Is the Horned King still going to make his appearance in the movie or what? Yes, I still cannot get over that.. Seriously.. Why is it there?
Because the "Backson" monster has horns.

Oh!

Oh, well that's kinda a disappointment. I was hoping for some major cameo appearance by the Horned King. It kinda looks like it would fit in more with the Monsters Inc. Universe..

Ah well..

Sotiris · Post by **Sotiris** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 4:19 am

New Featurettes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y9QI7wG_z4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY7SF_SRci4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joNnDLEfVpM

DisneyJedi · Post by **DisneyJedi** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:36 pm

Right, so I checked by RottenTomatoes. So far, it's 79% fresh, and yet 67% of the public wanna see it.

I have no idea why, but that almost seems like a bad omen IMO.

Avaitor · Post by **Avaitor** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 1:41 pm

Jesus, can you stop directly posting videos on this thread? It makes it so hard to read through the thread.

The_Iceflash · Post by **The_Iceflash** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 3:39 pm

DisneyJedi wrote:Right, so I checked by RottenTomatoes. So far, it's 79% fresh, and yet 67% of the public wanna see it.

I have no idea why, but that almost seems like a bad omen IMO.

I've learned not to go by RottenTomatoes a LONG time ago.

Prince Edward · Post by **Prince Edward** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 4:19 pm

New 'Winnie the Pooh' movie goes back to its Hundred Acre Wood roots
'Winnie the Pooh's' G-rated, hand-drawn animation harks back to its origins in Disney's 'Winnie' shorts of the 1960s and '70s and the books on which the film is based.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/ne ... 2978.story

Sotiris · Post by **Sotiris** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 5:39 pm

Avaitor wrote:Jesus, can you stop directly posting videos on this thread? It makes it so hard to read through the thread.

Fine. I'll just post the links and not embed the videos from now on. You could have just said so politely, you know. No need for the snarky tone.

poohya · Post by **poohya** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 6:27 pm

DisneyAnimation88 · Post by **DisneyAnimation88** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 6:53 pm

DisneyJedi wrote:Right, so I checked by RottenTomatoes. So far, it's 79% fresh, and yet 67% of the public wanna see it. I have no idea why, but that almost seems like a bad omen IMO.

The film has been reviewed positively and the site suggests a significant amount of people want to see it and that's a bad omen?

Surely there's a reason here to be optimistic about the film's prospects.

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Winnie the Pooh (2011)