Only those with no sense of nostalgia would fail to appreciate the magic in this sweet, gentle animated movie. I’m talking Winnie The Pooh, the stuffed bear, and his friends, Christopher Robin, Piglet, Tigger, Owl, and Eeyore the donkey. The movie generates smiles from start to finish as we find Pooh and Co. going on a wild chase to find the supposedly missing Christopher Robin. Ok, the plot doesn’t really get more complicated or anything, but that’s part of what I liked in this colorful, straightforward movie. It opens in a bedroom for a young boy in 1920’s England, which is also the time when Winnie The Pooh was created. The new film stays true to that time period, with its clever use of 2D animation, making it a definite treat for young kids and adults alike (especially those who grew up watching the classic Disney films). None of the original voice actors are still alive, but their replacements (Jim Cummings in particular as Pooh) do a great job. John Cleese, who provides the voice of the narrator, is in fine form as well.

“Winnie The Pooh” is the first real G-rated movie to come along in quite a while. I say “real”, because it doesn’t rely on cheap jokes to make kids laugh. It plays it cards with an absolute charm that I found hard to resist. Such a movie is a rarity in today’s marketplace, because it doesn’t try to score high in terms of Box office numbers (in fact, it was released on the same day as “Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2”!). It simply wants to give kids a movie they can appreciate and let adults set their daily lives aside to enjoy clever humor and delightful characters. How can you resist such a film?

Rating: 3/4