The Book of Pooh - Stories From the Heart
While Disney didn't invent Winnie the Pooh, nor first animate him, it certainly has Americanized the British bear into a cartoon character hardly resembling A.A. Milne's original 1924 creation. Although Disney's four Storybook Classics titles (from 1966) were somewhat faithful to Milne's concept, subsequent titles (especially in thePlaytimeandLearningseries) descended into second-rate TV fare. All this to say that Disney has redeemed itself withThe Book of Pooh, a fresh batch of Pooh stories evoking a nostalgic nod to the original. The Disney Channel's full-length filmStories from the Heartis a puppet rendition of Pooh, set in a sparkling world of computer animation (not unlikeBear in the Big Blue House, which shares the same executive producer and director, Mitchell Kriegman). The puppets (by Shadow Projects) may take some getting used to by viewers accustomed to animated cartoons, yet they'll appreciate the characters' lifelike personalities. The 77-minute program is a collection of six tales focusing on Pooh, Piglet, Owl, and the gang (though Kanga and Roo are noticeably absent). Mark Zaslove deserves writing kudos for subtle humor (reminiscent of Milne) and storytelling restraint uncharacteristic of Disney. Highlights include "Eeyore's Tailiversary," in which Eeyore receives a surprise party to celebrate the day he and his tail became attached, and "Tigger's Replacement," which chronicles Tigger's attempts to teach Piglet how to be a Tigger. (Lessons in bouncing and Tiggerisms are part of his Rigorous Tiggerous Training Program.) Many of the puppets' voices are familiar, such as Jim Cummings (The Tigger Movie) as Pooh and Tigger. Six musical numbers round out this welcome entry in Disney'sWinnie the Poohcollection.--Lynn Gibson