Some of you may have missed this little gem when it came out in mid-July. It’s newly out on Blu-ray and it has lost none of its charm.

I reviewed it back when it came out, and here’s the gist of what the film is about and what I liked from that review:

The story is very, very straight forward. Eeyore (played here quite capably by Bud Luckey, from “Boundin’” fame) has lost his tail and there’s a contest to find him a new one. The prize? A pot of honey that Pooh just needs because he can’t even remember the last time he’s eaten. Owl (played hilariously by Craig Ferguson) steals every scene he’s in, at one point attaching a chalkboard to Eeyore’s backside as a replacement for his tail and then illustrating an entire story on it, still attached to Eeyore. The animation delves into the chalk and
provides a great sequence in the old mold of “Heffalumps and Woozels” or “Pink Elephants on Parade.” It worked stupendously.

More than anything, this film is fun and funny for people of all ages. I saw it with my 8 and 9 year old and we three were all laughing hysterically throughout. They came up with a perfect mix of humour and charm that appealed to everyone in rapid fire succession.

Again, the animation was gorgeous, the film was funny and beautifully rendered, the voices were top notch, and it was just a great, easy way to spend an hour and a half in the theatre.

And the film has only grown in its fun. There’s something to be said about seeing this film on home video instead of the theatre, going a long way to recreate much more of the nostalgia I had with Winnie the Pooh in my youth. The weekend the Blu-ray came in, I curled up on the couch on a Saturday morning, huddled under a blanket with my kids, and we watched it all over again. We laughed even harder and being at home somehow made it even more charming.

On Blu-ray, it looks better than Winnie the Pooh ever has before and makes me want to revisit the classic feature as well.

If you have kids, you owe it to yourself to pick this movie up. If you don’t, and you’re just a fan of Winnie the Pooh who was wary about this new version, I assure you, there is nothing to worry about.

TTFN…