Pooh's Heffalump Movie (2005)
Heffa nice day.
Starring: Jim Cummings, John Fiedler, Nikita Hopkins, Kath Soucie, Ken Sansom, Peter Cullen, Brenda Blethyn, Kyle Stanger
Director: Frank Nissen
Running Time: 68 minutes
US MPAA rating: GUK BBFC rating: U
Animation, Family
Why does Winnie the Pooh never get called "Winnie" by any of his pals? Seriously, it's something that's been bothering me for quite some time now. I mean, he gets called "Pooh" and "Pooh bear", but never "Winnie". I can only assume that either he's not actually called "Winnie" at all, or that he's somehow managed to go all these years without revealing to his closest friends that he has a girlie's name.
Oh well, there's no chance of finding out the answer by watching 'Pooh's Heffalump Movie', because it's not about that. In fact, come to think of it, it's not really about Pooh at all. The honey-loving bear-of-very-little-brain might have his name in the title, but really this third big-screen outing for A.A. Milne's Hundred Acre Massive belongs to Roo, the totsy kangaroo who likes to follow that old cartoon tradition of wearing a t-shirt but no pants.
Things kick-off when the gang realise they have in their midst a heffalump - which is a bit like an elephant, only pinker, cuddlier, and probably quite a bit less likely to crush everyone in its path into a bleeding pulp. Dubbed too young for heffalump-hunting by Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and the rest of them, Roo is made to stay home where - lo and behold - he makes a new friend in the shape of Lumpy, a baby heff so cute that you'd need four sacks of kittens just to match him.
Running at under 70 minutes in length, 'Pooh's Heffalump Movie' is maybe a bit on the short side, but then again it's aimed at the very youngest of young 'uns so you can cut it a bit of slack on the front. It features an original soundtrack by Carly Simon, although the new Heffalump song isn't a patch on the old 'Heffalumps and Woozles' ditty from the original small screen adventures. And, while I'm making such comparisons, is it just me or is the artwork not quite up to the standard that it used to be in those early Pooh-toons?
Having said all of that, I'd need to be a right grumpy old killjoy to complain too heavily about a movie like this one. It's a nice, simple and endearing little romp for the kiddies, and that's all it can really be judged as. Don't go expecting biting wit or hundred-mile-an-hour adventure - but do go if you want your ankle-biters to be assured a fun, safe, early experience of the cinema.
It's Got: A new character, in Lumpy, who works well in freshening up the franchise.
It Needs: Much more of everyone's favourite manic depressive, Eeyore. It's got to be his turn to take centre-stage next time, surely??
Alternatives: The Tigger Movie, Piglet's Big Movie
Summary: Apparently, this is one of Pooh's favourite once-upon-a-times - and why not?
Review by Gary Panton
Review Date: 26th March 2005
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External Links
Official Web Site
Pooh's Heffalump Movie at the IMDB
