The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

The 22nd animated Disney classic is what I consider the epitome of innocence and childhood. This movie brings fond memories of a childhood that doesn't exist nowadays. It shows very well the beauty of life and magic of childhood, taking us to the relaxing and calm environment of the Hundred Acre Wood and back to the days when childhood was really childhood.

"The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" is simple but quite happy. It is narrated through a storybook and illustrations, which is a different way to tell a story.

This movie was made in a different way than the other Disney classics. The 3 Winnie the Pooh's shorts were put together, forming this motion picture but with the addiction of a conclusion. These 3 shorts are named "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree", "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day" and "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too!". The movie includes 2 live-action segments (a small one at the beginning and a minor one at the end).

Following old Disney's tradition, it has great artwork, lovable characters, charming songs, classic humor and nice animation.

There are no villains (something rare on Disney classics) and the characters are all friends. They all have different personalities, but they're all cool.

Winnie the Pooh is a bear with little brain but he's funny, cute and adorable. He looks more like a doll. You know, like one of those Teddy Bears most children have or had once.

Eeyore is a sad, depressed and pessimist donkey. Rabbit is authoritarian, tense and sometimes unfair, but cool. Piglet is tiny, cute, shy and nervous. Tigger is carefree, wild, humorous, hilarious, amusing, very lively and loves to bounce on his friends. He bounces on Pooh, Piglet and Rabbit, but never on Cristopher Robin, Kanga, Roo, Eeyore, Gopher and Owl. It's good to have a character like Tigger to cheer us up.

Kanga is nice and her son Roo is cool, innocent and enthusiastic. The Owl is very talkative and wise. Cristopher Robin is a caring, sweet and friendly little boy - and he's always available for his friends and helps them whenever they need.

Gopher is hilarious - «he's not in the book» and it's simply awesome whenever he falls into his hole. He is inspired on the Beaver from "Lady and the Tramp". They both can talk and whistle at the same time.

As for the songs, they are simple but charming and childish in a good way. I like all these songs, it's hard to pick a favorite: "Winnie the Pooh", "Up, down and touch the ground", "Rumbly in my tumbly", "Little Black Rain Cloud", "Mind Over Matter", "A Rather Blustery Day", "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers", "Heffalumps and Woozles", "The Rain Rain Rain Came Down Down Down" and "Hip Hip Pooh-Ray!".

As usual, great voice talents from the past shine here too. The great Sterling Holloway provides the voice for Winnie the Pooh. Ralph Wright was a great Eeyore - that gloomy and deep voice is perfect for him. Rabbit was never the same again without Junius Matthews. Sebastian Cabot was a good narrator. John Fiedler is wonderful as Piglet's voice. Barbara Luddy made a good Kanga. Paul Winchell... what a genius! He was a perfect Tigger! Seriously, no one can replace him and Tigger just isn't the same without him.