Pooh's Heffalump Movie
It's impossible to review Pooh's Heffalump Movie by the normal
standards of what a good movie is. If you pick on little things like
storyline and character development, you're missing the point. It is
useless (and perhaps just a little bit unreasonable) to grade it on an adult
curve.
Pooh's Heffalump Movie is made specifically for young children, who
grade on a different scale than we do. It has favorite characters,
colorful drawings, adventure and sweet Carly Simon songs. It has a
cute new character. It even imparts a gentle lesson on tolerance
towards those who are different from you.
Even
the running time, which at 68 minutes would be insanely short for any other
type of movie, makes sense in this case. Any longer, and the little kids
it is targeting may get restless.
Winnie the Pooh really isn't the main character here, young kangaroo Roo
gets much of the screen time here. The storyline is simple, as is
necessary. A mysterious large creature has been leaving giant
footprints and making loud trumpeting sounds in Hundred Acre Wood.
The
citizens of the forest are sure that it is a dangerous monster coming to
harm them. Therefore, Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit and Eeyore go into the
local woods to capture the mysterious beast, a Heffalump. Little Roo
is not allowed to go because he is too young, so he decides to go on an
expedition (or as he says, "expetition") by himself.
The
young kangaroo is afraid. However, when he finally meets a Heffalump
named Lumpy, it turns out to be a little kid like himself. Not only
that, the Heffalump is just as afraid of Pooh and the friends as they are of
him.
As
Roo and Lumpy get to spend some time together, they realize how much they
have in common and become friends. Now Roo must make the others from
Hundred Acre Woods realize that the Heffalump is not dangerous.
Pooh's Heffalump Movie is a rarity these days -- a children's film that
is specifically and entirely made FOR children. Unlike most kids films
these days, they don't drop in a lot of jokes and references just for the
adults. It's a nice thing that adults can still watch and enjoy it
as a cute little story without feeling pandered to.
The
most important gauge of whether or not Pooh's Heffalump Movie works
is a simple one. It was my two-and-a-half-year-old nephew George
Seth's first time to see a movie in a theater. As the end credits
rolled, he said, "I want to see it again."
Mission accomplished, Disney. (2/05)
Jay S.
Jacobs
