Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Animated Classic #22: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

Last Week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Animated Classic #21: Robin Hood (1973)

Not really a full-length film, The Many Adventures is one of the most charming and sweet films that has come from the studio. Merging three Pooh shorts (some made during Walt’s lifetime) “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree”, “Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day” and “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too” into one film (additional animation was added to help the story flow smoothly), the Disney animators created a unique film with wonderful minimalistic animation and endearing stories. Due to the fact that these were shorts, the story feels episodic with Pooh jumping from one adventure to another, but that's hardly a distraction and your enjoyment won’t be tampered. The voices are top-notch and the Sherman Brothers songs only add to the film’s enchantment. The Hundred Acre Wood had never been so magical. Rating: 4.5/5.

Next Week: Animated Classics #23 Review: The Rescuers (1977)

Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Silver Age (Part 3) Introduction

Last Week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Animated Classic #19: The Jungle Book (1967)

Silver Age (1950-1977)
The 70s

Overview

With Walt gone, the animation studio entered the 70s filled with uncertainty. The “Nine Old Men” took charge of the studio but it's undeniable that some of the ‘magic’ was lost in this decade. Carried by the motto “What Would Walt Do?" (a motto that was used until the mid-80s when the company made big changes and went for a different direction, the animators played it “safe” and produced animated features that, while fun, didn't break new ground story-wise or technologically speaking. Many refer to this decade as the beginning of the “Dark Age” that was prevalent at the company until the late 80s, but I think that, while the films released in this era can’t (for the most part) surpass their predecessors, they were still made by the same men and women that made all the Walt-era classics and are pretty entertaining and often heartfelt too. For that reason, these films represent the final batch of the classic era that started in the 1930s with Snow White.

[UPDATED] The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Coming to Blu-ray 27th August

Official Cover Art

In very exciting news, Disney's 1977 classic, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, is being released on Blu-ray on 27th August. The studio hasn't give official confirmation yet, but the title is now available for pre-order at Amazon.