Pooh's Heffalump Movie is now available on DVD. For the full DVD review, click here.
Review by Jack Seiley
For the third time in this decade, Winnie the Pooh and his pals are back on the big screen. With the last two theatrical outings, the focus was put on a pre-existing character of the Hundred Acre Wood gang that had previously given up the limelight to Pooh. It’s no different this time around, although in this instance, the film introduces as brand new character, and in doing so, reshapes pre-existing notions about a certain piece of Pooh lore and differentiating itself from previous projects based on A. A. Milne’s books.
Pooh’s Heffalump Movie carries a rather loaded title, mainly because it could represent an array of different stories and tones. Heffalumps were first introduced as a sort of nonsense that the energetic Tigger made up, frightening Pooh with his claim that “Heffalumps and Woozles steal honey” in 1968’s ”Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day” (which was combined with the other two Pooh shorts from that period in 1977’s The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh). Pooh goes on to have an outlandish and zany nightmare about the creatures, dreaming that they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but all have the intent of taking his precious honey away. This particular notion was faithfully continued in the excellent “New Adventures” TV series in the ‘80s and ‘90s, with certain episodes featuring actual Heffalumps who, while not as bad as Pooh dreamt them to be, were still somewhat mischievous critters who loved the sticky yellow stuff. After that, however, the creatures were pretty much pushed into the background – even in the last few Pooh movies, there’s been no mention of them.
Now, not only have they been brought back, but the storyline of the new Pooh film entirely centers around them. Since it’s always been rather ambiguous as to what Heffalumps truly are, the filmmakers had a decent bit of leeway of where to take this movie. They could have gone the wacky route, and made the creatures similar to their first incarnation, or they could have made them a simple figment of the imagination. Either way, this movie would probably be taken as the legitimate definition of what the creatures really are. Where they’ve ended up going may not be exactly what one would expect after watching Many Adventures, and it doesn’t fit the Pooh canon with complete comfort, but I think they’ve concocted a solid story and feel that befits the subject.
Pooh begins the movie with a brief narration, recalling that this is one of his most favorite stories, while the camera pans across some humungous footprints imprinted across the Hundred Acre Wood (Don’t worry – this isn’t 1993 and you aren’t watching Jurassic Park!) A loud trumpeting noise abruptly wakes up all the characters, and all are soon clamoring out of bed to find out what’s going on. They gather at Rabbit’s house, figuring that he’ll know what it is, and ol’ long ears gives them the answer – it must be a Heffalump! The gang follows the footprints to a large forest area at the edge of their woods where the creatures supposedly dwell, and on arrival, an excited Roo proclaims that they should go to catch it. When everyone else seems to agree, Rabbit begins to make plans for an adventurous expedition, and soon has Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore all practicing their Heffalump-catching skills with a variety of equipment.
However, Roo is left out, being told that he’s too young to go on such a dangerous trek (even though he was the one who got the idea!). Understandably, the little guy is very bummed out, and goes home to Kanga wishing he could grow up overnight so he could go on the journey with everyone else. Confident that he can catch one of the monstrous creatures by himself, he secretly goes off on his own expedition, and finds himself in the middle of the spooky woods on his own, while the rest of the crew are busy with their own goofy attempts at nabbing a Heffalump.
Out of the blue comes a boisterous, playful, English-accented and chubby little pink elephant-look-alike named Lumpy. Roo is caught off guard by how un-scary the creature turns out to be, finding it easy to capture him when the giggly Lumpy thinks it’s all a game. The two of them discover that they very much relate to each other, and end up having quite a bit of fun, but it’s not long before Lumpy hears his mom calling for him to come home. When Roo pleads that his new pal come to meet his other friends, he becomes terribly scared, and Roo learns that Lumpy’s been thought just as many frightening misconceptions about the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood as he was thought about the Heffalumps.
Still, with encouragement, Lumpy reluctantly agrees to come with Roo, and when the others find out that there’s a dreaded Heffalump in their property, they begin to set traps all over the place. Frightened by the hostility, Lumpy & Roo run off, only to find themselves in peril. For the day to be saved, the Pooh & Pals will have to adjust their viewpoint on the once-dreaded creatures . . . especially when Lumpy’s mother shows up.
As notable from the overview of the story, Roo and Lumpy are the central characters, with the rest of the personas strictly in supporting roles. In fact, “Roo’s Heffalump Movie” would probably the most applicable title, as Pooh is more of a side character than he ever has been. The plot seems intelligently targeted toward the youngest viewers, with Roo being made to feel “too young” by an adult-like figure (Rabbit), and the story hinging on his trying to prove that he isn’t. I can’t help but think that the false misconceptions Lumpy and Roo have about one another’s backgrounds is an allegory for real-world stereotyping and racism. I’m reluctant to say that, because it sounds like it doesn’t belong in a Pooh movie, but I think it works very well, if that’s what is intended - the message isn’t shoved down the throat, but very subtle. Overall, this is probably the best story we’ve seen in a Pooh film yet – it’s not episodic, it has a definite concept, relatively strong structure, and a well-delivered moral.
The new characters of Lumpy and his mother are a welcome addition. Lumpy’s spirited personality, bouncy animation, and wonderful voice-work makes to an irresistibly cute character that brings a smile to the face whenever he’s on screen. He’s similar enough to the already established characters to feel that he belongs in the world, but different enough to make for a spark of energy and originality in the endless string of Pooh projects that are being churned out. From the looks of it, we could expect to see him as a recurring character in future installments of the “franchise”, which could only be a good thing.
Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Carly Simon returns from Piglet’s Big Movie to perform four new songs and provide lyrics for the rest. Her presence in this film is drastically pulled back from the numerous and needless songs she did in Piglet, which proved to be a little distracting because they felt obligatory. In Heffalump, her songs seem better placed and more integrated into the story. Another change is the nature of the songs themselves. With the exception of one number that’s similar to “Heffalumps and Woozles” from Many Adventures, the songs are different than the simple tunes we’ve grown accustomed to in Pooh films. The instruments are more ornate, making the music sound almost Celtic in places, and the use of a choir in one piece seems very un-Pooh indeed.
The low-budget animation is, for the most part, done in the best way possible. The backgrounds remain true to the look of previous installments, and the animation for Roo and Lumpy is lively and full of life. The side characters suffer somewhat, which is slightly disappointing. In the last movie, the animation was very fluid and captured everyone’s movements incredibly well, especially the bear of little brain. In this one, they move a little more stiffly, and it seems not as much care was taken to replicate the mannerisms of each personality, as was done in Piglet. For all I know, I may the only one who notices this, though, as it’s not a drastic step down and the animation is mostly positive.
With all that being said, long time Pooh fans may notice a change in feel throughout the entire film. Obviously, much of this stems from the new character being the focus, but there are other aspects that cause this too. For one, the movie contains more emotional weight than normal, primarily due to the situation Lumpy finds himself in. It’s not severe, but it’s more than what we’re used to seeing in these movies. The score and songs, as I mentioned, are quite unlike what we’ve heard in the predecessors. Perhaps the most glaring change is the absence of Christopher Robin. With his omission, one realizes that an appealing factor of the original film – the aspect of the innocence of childhood – is largely gone.
Despite this shift in feel, Pooh’s Heffalump Movie still makes for a fitting continuation of the series - probably the best yet. One could even say that the change in pace is a positive thing, allowing for a refreshing entry in a line of movies that is growing generic. Pooh fans will surely have a good time, and I think there’s a good chance they’ll enjoy it significantly more than, not only the previous Pooh sequels, but most every other Disney sequel as well. It’s a completely charming experience, and it’ll leave you feeling good.
Perhaps the most potent dilemma is whether or not its worth going to the theater for. With a relatively quick DVD release planned, I’d imagine that many people would be content for waiting to pick it up then. Yet for those who’ve immensely enjoyed the Pooh characters, you’re sure to have a delightful time at the cinema if you choose to see it on the big screen.
Pooh's Heffalump Movie on DVD
Click here to read the DVD review of Pooh's Heffalump Movie.
