Winnie the Pooh (2011) – Micro Film Review

Over three decades after the classic film The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) was released, and despite the success of many spinoff films and series, Walt Disney Animation Studios decided to produce an official sequel. Rather than taking an episodic approach, they attempt a full, single storyline: Eeyore has lost his tail, so everyone competes to help him find a new one, and Christopher Robin leaves a note saying that he’ll be back soon, but Owl (the true villain of this film), due to his pretensions pedantry, misreads it and freaks the gang out that there’s a “Backson” creature coming to eat them all. So they go on a quest to trap the Backson and a grand series of hijinks ensue. It definitely doesn’t measure up to the original, but it does the job delightfully well.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) – Micro Film Review

This is a grand, episodic film about childhood, growing up, dealing with quirky friends, and curbing your hunny-addictions. Based on the stories by A.A. Milne, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh has some classic moments in nostalgic animation—Pooh getting stuck in Rabbit’s front door, Christopher Robin helping Pooh swindle some bees out of their honey, the terrifying heffalump and woozle song, and Pooh’s rumbly tumbly. These are core memories for me that unlocked upon this rewatch. I could recite almost the entire film from start to finish—at least the finish of the third story, because the last tale, “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too” was foreign to me. I wonder if, as I watched this incessantly as a kid, my attention span lapsed by the end. Regardless, it’s definitely weaker than the first two segments.

Frank and Ollie (1995) – Micro Film Review

Frank and Ollie is an uplifting, heartwarming documentary about the working friendship of two of the instrumental artists behind most of the golden age Disney films, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston.

Frank and Ollie were hired by Disney just before Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and it charts their rise in the studio, but while Waking Sleeping Beauty charts the power play and politics that plagued the Disney corporation during its Renaissance in the 80s and 90s, this tracks the earnest efforts of Frank and Ollie during evolution of the studio as they innovated upon their animation, learned to coax emotion out of their illustrations, and took the lead in different aspects of the studio’s production. It’s both fascinating and inspirational.

Mulan (1998) – Micro Film Review

Mulan is revolutionary in its handling of the strength of their female protagonists in a world that doesn’t readily accept such strength. The entire film is about Mulan’s struggle to step up and serve, to fight, to stand up for her family’s honor in a society that has no desire for her help. Moreover, it’s one of the rare Disney animated films starring a person of color as a protagonist (and even rarer, someone of Asian descent).

The music in Mulan is also Disney in peak form. She knows she has an inner strength that she hopes her “Reflection” will show; she stands up to the physical challenge in “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” (one of the top 10 training montages in all of film), despite not conforming to the norms of her society, she manages to bring “Honor to Us All.” Eddie Murphy also shines as Mushu, even though it’s not his best animated performance (I’m lookin’ at you, Donkey).

In the end, Mulan is so very relatable and human, and is inspiring to us all.

The Great Mouse Detective (1986) – Micro Film Review

As my wife and I started our haphazard Disney/Pixar Animation rewatch, I’d been looking forward to revisiting The Great Mouse Detective more than many of the films in Disney’s canon.

This is a rollicking good time (except for about 15 minutes in the middle where it slows down a bit). I’m a sucker for Sherlock Holmes in any form, as well as the dirty late 80s Disney animation. It’s too bad that this didn’t play as well during Disney’s slump (for more on this, watch the fantastic documentary Waking Sleeping Beauty), because this is begging for a sequel. This is an underrated gem.