The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Review!

 Alright! Today I’m reviewing the 22nd film from Walt Disney Animation Studios, a practically word-for-word adaptation of A.A. Milne’s beloved children’s novel Winnie-the-Pooh. Comprised of four short stories from Milne’s work, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is by far and away the most book-accurate of Disney’s films (Although when the competition is The Black Cauldron and Artemis Fowl, that’s not saying much). 

The hardest thing to grasp about this film is the fact that this was the first time these iconic characters were being voiced. Every single character here - Poohbear, Piglet, Tigger, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo, Christopher Robin - this was the first time they had ever had voices. And for whatever reason, all of these voices clicked to the utmost extent and are now synonymous with the characters. Now that’s what I call voice acting. 

It’s not just voice acting - it’s singing as well. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is filled to the brim with sweet songs that, while they may not be Disney’s most popular, are still highly underrated. There are 10 songs on this track and each one, while short, is beautifully composed and achingly sweet. They all capture the simplicity of the Hundred-Acre woods, not being big or loud but rather soft and intimate, much like the title character. 

The animation on display here is Disney’s “scratchy” xerox animation, which was utilized throughout the 70s on features like Robin Hood, The Aristocats, and Fox and the Hound. While it certainly has a charm to it, the distinctive style isn’t as beautiful and often looks rougher than its predecessors. However, out of all the films produced during this time period, it certainly works best for this film, making it look like a storybook brought to life. 

The thing I love most about this movie is the fact that it’s a Winnie the Pooh movie. I love Winnie the Pooh, have since I was little, and continue to do so today. No matter the time period, it’s always entertaining to see what the bear gets up to. The movie’s greatest strength is crafting a protagonist so endearingly soft-spoken and wise while simultaneously being simple and sweet. He’s a bear of very little brain, but one of a large heart, and that’s what makes him so beautiful. His voice is often fringed with an underlying sadness that adds to this simplicity and his quotable lines only exemplify his idiot savantism. 

Winnie the Pooh is not a complex protagonist. I’m not going to be analyzing his actions like I will Raskolnikov or Kurtz. That’s what makes Pooh so great - he’s simple. He’s just someone you would want to be around, to love and be loved by. You see him and can’t help but be compelled by his sweetness.

It’s the fact that the film matches the nature of its protagonist that makes it great. The songs, animation, and framework narrative all work to the film's advantage, and the 1h 14min runtime is refreshing to look back on after years of bloated animated features. 

Overall, I give The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh a 10/10. “Starring cinema’s most likable protagonist, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a sweet and sincere adventure.”