My favorite Pooh movies are the ones that actually adapt sections of A. A. Milne's original book, but this one is actually pretty darn good despite being a mostly original work. It has a nice lesson about prejudice, xenophobia, and preconceptions, and Lumpy (a/k/a Heffridge Trumpler Brompet Heffalump IV) is a delightful addition to the canon. Pooh's barely in it, since it is really a Roo movie, but when he does show up he's adorable in his little aviator's cap. The film is a good follow-up to the terrific Piglet's Big Movie, with the same screenwriter and more catchy songs by Carly Simon.

This second adaptation I own is by Kelli Kaufmann and the Disney Storybook Artists and features an electronic component you can use to make sounds throughout the story. Unlike the Piglet's Big Movie Interactive Play-a-Sound from last week, none of the recorded components are actual voices of the characters or lines from the movie; all we get are really silly sound effects that tend to go on a bit too long.

While the art is fine, the writing of the adaptation is weak. Too much of the movie's action and themes are dumped by the wayside in order to have characters do things like trudging around that will result in the opportunity to press a button and get the tinny little sound of footsteps.

FOR REFERENCE:

Pooh's Heffalump Movie was directed by Frank Nissen from a screenplay by Brian Hohlfeld and Evan Spiliotopoulos, based on the characters created by by A. A. Milne. ( )