Reel Rumbles: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh vs The Rescuers

We’re again at it within the Nice Disney Reel Rumble Retrospective! We proceed on by means of the Bronze Age as we cowl the primary time Disney launched two characteristic movies in the identical 12 months. With out additional ado, let’s dive in.

Whereas The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, as a movie, didn’t have any involvement from Walt Disney, it’s the final movie that may declare technical involvement from Walt. Disney obtained the rights to the Winnie the Pooh tales again in 1961. Walt had wished to make works primarily based on these tales way back to 1938. He discovered his daughter studying the books at some point and laughing at their whimsical pleasure. Walt lastly succeeded after a number of a long time in getting the rights. Whereas initially eager to make a characteristic movie, Disney finally determined to fee shorts as a substitute, connected to live-action options. This movie is comprised of three previously-made shorts, together with ones that Walt had involvement with.

Walt was a fan of Stephen Slesinger’s red-shirted depiction of Pooh, and he acquired these rights as properly. Pooh’s iconic look on this movie is a direct results of this acquisition. One other addition from Disney himself was the character of Gopher, who doesn’t seem in writer A.A. Milne’s unique tales. Walt felt {that a} extra comedic and relatable character was wanted to entice American kids into the extra staid British kids’s work.

The shorts chosen that fill out the movie have been remodeled a sequence of years from 1966-1974. The primary quick was one Walt supervised earlier than handing it over to director Wolfgang Reitherman who was informed to Americanize the piece, particularly after the current failure of Alice in Wonderland. The second quick was the final one which Walt had involvement with, with the 9 Outdated Males and different Disney honchos deciding to make it the primary post-Walt manufacturing, although priorities ultimately shifted. Paul Winchell earned the well-known voice function of Tigger on account of his fame as a ventriloquist.

Whereas every of the shorts was profitable by itself, the compilation right into a full movie did lots to bolster the fame of Pooh Bear. It launched theatrically on March 11, 1977 to prompt crucial success. Although a couple of critics felt Disney improperly pilfered the whimsy of those kids’s tales, most have been favorable. No data is obtainable on the field workplace success of the movie, nevertheless it presumably did properly. It has maintained a robust crucial status all through the years and is totally built-in into Disney tradition. With a journey at Disney parks, and characters exhibiting up in cross-Disney properties reminiscent of Kingdom Hearts and different video video games, Winnie the Pooh has maintained its fame and endurance. Additional Pooh Bear films have been made, together with one which this sequence will cowl far down the road.

Launched later in 1977, The Rescuers additionally started growth over a decade earlier again in 1962. The preliminary remedy of the story was too overtly political for Walt, however was revived within the early 70s as a undertaking for younger animators reminiscent of Don Bluth to earn their stripes. Like most different Disney properties, this one was primarily based on preexisting kids’s books, and the studio selected to base the story on the latest Rescuers ebook. Louis Prima was initially introduced in, following his voiceover success in The Jungle E-book, however after Prima turned critically in poor health in 1975 the whole undertaking was scrapped.

The Rescuers could be rescued once more, although, because the crew completed up Robin Hood and regarded to begin the following undertaking. Manufacturing started once more. Cruella de Vil was initially thought-about to be the villain of the piece, however the animators determined to keep away from attempting to make it a semi-sequel, so they chose Miss Diamond from one of many Rescuer books and retouched her look. Animator Milt Kahl was leaving the studio and determined to make her his send-off, personally doing a lot of the animation.

Different characters have been chosen from throughout many novels and mixed into one piece. The dragonfly character initially started as a one-off comedic bit, however the animators have been so bemused that his function expanded into a significant sidekick for the leads Bianca and Bernard, whose relationship turned a romantic subplot.

Whereas the black-line xerography technique of animation continued for use on this work, The Rescuers marked the primary massive improve from that fashion. The xerography strategies have been improved to permit use of a medium-grey toner, permitting the cel artists to create softer traces and a much less harsh look. This manufacturing was notable for being one of many final efforts from many Disney veteran animators and the primary to characteristic Don Bluth as directing animator. Different notable animators stepped up who would find yourself changing into massive components of the Disney Renaissance interval, making this a really transitional movie within the historical past of the studio.

The Rescuers was initially launched as a double characteristic with the character documentary A Story of Two Critters. On a funds of $7 million, the movie managed to gross round $41 million by the tip of its worldwide run, making it a fairly large hit. Regardless of the fame of the Bronze Period as a down interval, this one bucked towards traits considerably. The movie was additionally notable for a small scandal after a house video launch the place frames containing nudity have been discovered. Regardless, preliminary crucial opinions have been pretty excessive with some discovering it as an indication of a brand new golden age of Disney to come back. Opinions have cooled considerably since, however many nonetheless credit score this one as a vivid spot amongst this period of Disney.

It has not fairly endured in common tradition as a lot as different Disney works. Although it will definitely garnered a sequel, the Rescuer characters don’t fairly have an enormous cultural footprint. The characters don’t present up in lots of video video games, and their presence within the Disney Parks can be pretty minimal. For no matter purpose, regardless of the crucial accolades and field workplace, The Rescuers has pale.

Most of the Disney movies after Walt’s demise have been pretty episodic of their plots, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is the epitome of that storytelling fashion. The movie does thread the shorts along with a connecting story about Winnie the Pooh being in a storybook that’s explored by a toddler, however that is principally window-dressing.

Principally is the operative phrase although, as this thread does come to a satisfying payoff with the ending sequence. It options one of the vital emotionally-powerful moments in Disney historical past with Christopher Robin and Pooh discussing their time collectively and the significance of recollections shared. Regardless of the hinted imminence of Robin leaving childhood behind, the warming affirmation that Pooh will all the time reside in Christopher’s coronary heart is the stuff that Disney nostalgia is constructed on.

As for the varied sequences themselves, they’re amusing in their very own proper. Filled with whimsical humor, fueled principally by the silliness of the characters, there may be an innocence to all of it that’s fairly charming. This isn’t fairly A+ storytelling, however one can’t assist chuckling all through. The movie introduces a light component of scariness with the Heffalump sequence (one which gave me nightmares as a really younger baby, resulting in fast-forwarding on subsequent viewings), however it’s a sequence of psychedelic bemusement.

This isn’t the most effective Disney has to supply, however when its robust emotional core shines by means of, Winnie the Pooh grabs maintain of your coronary heart and doesn’t let go. Its attraction and whimsy shines by means of many a long time later.

The Rescuers has extra of a full story. It options two mice because the titular heroes who obtain a mission to seek out an orphan woman held by a vindictive older lady, Madam Medusa. This can be a traditional journey story, which lends itself to additionally being pretty episodic. Nonetheless, the story does weave the entire characteristic collectively.

The connection between Bernard and Bianca, the 2 mice, is well-developed and charming. Seeing Bianca cleared the path for the bumbling Bernard, and seeing them fall for one another as they navigate a sequence of obstacles and animal allies, offers the movie a robust arc. The villain, Madam Medusa, feels a tad pointless regardless of a couple of zany sequences. Her alligator servants are nearly extra distinctive, as she is simply generically imply to the orphan Penny in a method that different Disney villains do higher.

The guts of The Rescuers makes it work, regardless of some components of the journey being extra uninteresting than others. The lead characters are fascinating, they usually really feel at house amongst their journey movie compatriots from the 70s. This isn’t a stand-out movie in comparison with Golden Age Disney, nevertheless it stands above lots of the movies lined within the undertaking to this point.

Whereas each of those movies are episodic in components, and each have uneven storytelling, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh has the slight benefit. The last word theme of the movie is among the many most emotionally-powerful storytelling moments within the canon, and there may be sufficient humor to edge out The Rescuers.

Winner: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh has quite a few iconic tunes. The titular observe “Winnie the Pooh” has a wealthy choral opening that immediately launches you into the guts of the story earlier than choosing up with a vivid and cheery sing-along fashion that encapsulates the tone of the movie. Even years later, your mind will randomly bounce alongside to this splendidly comfortable melody.

Different cheerful songs embrace “The Great Factor About Tiggers,” a quick-paced quipping tune that has additionally withstood the check of time pretty properly. Its intelligent lyrics and fast-paced introduction to the character of Tigger has saved it among the many hallmarks of Disney tracks. Much less common however nonetheless nice are “Rumbly in my Tumbly” and “Heffalumps and Woozles,” each of which have their charms. These all add as much as Winnie the Pooh reviving the concept of the musical movie after a couple of movies with much less songs.

The music in The Rescuers is a tad much less iconic. That’s to not say there isn’t good music. “Tomorrow is One other Day” is a good looking tune within the pop fashion of the 70s, elevated by the sleek voice of Shelby Flint. Actually, a lot of the music in that is extra of its interval than some other Disney music. Maybe that’s why these songs haven’t endured as lengthy. Nonetheless, they’re respectable and delightful in their very own method.

However nothing in The Rescuers actually provides as much as “Winnie the Pooh” or any of the opposite songs within the Pooh Bear-led movies. These numbers have withstood the check of time on account of their intelligent lyrics and excellently constructed melodies. They stand among the many highlights of Disney music.

Winner: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Whereas there a couple of notable sequences in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the general animation high quality is nothing to write down house about. The zany colours and sequencing within the Heffalumps sequences is a kind of highlights, almost evoking a few of the robust sequences in different works reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. The brilliant and heat colours of the ending of the movie additionally work fairly properly. The remainder of the background animation although is relatively plain and easy, heavy with the darkish traces spoken about earlier than.

The person designs of the characters themselves are robust. Winnie the Pooh’s design works on account of its exceptional simplicity, with the brilliant crimson shirt serving to him stand out. The virtually sock-animal strategy to a number of different animals reminiscent of Eeyore and Piglet provides to the toybox aesthetic.

The Rescuers animation is powerful as properly. The characters themselves might not have develop into iconic, however their design isn’t at. Madam Medusa’s look accentuates her merciless and vindictive nature, and whereas a few of the animal designs really feel lifted out of The Jungle Book, others such because the dragonfly convey comedy and character properly.

The backgrounds are additionally distinctive and delightful. The xerography improve helps, and sequences reminiscent of the 2 lead mice flying throughout water on a fowl are beautiful. The bayou base of the villains additionally suitably conveys the dreariness of the setting.

Whereas the character designs of Winnie the Pooh have stood the check of time properly, the sting will go to The Rescuers. The animation isn’t fairly as robust because the upcoming Disney Renaissance stage, however it’s a marked enchancment on its Bronze Age predecessors. Extra detailed backgrounds go a good distance in the direction of enhancing the look of a Disney movie.

Winner: The Rescuers

The Rescuers holds an fascinating spot in Disney historical past. It’s a bridge movie between the beginnings of the studio and its future forward. It was critically well-liked, but it seems like an odd man out within the canon of Disney. There are qualities to take pleasure in about this journey story, nevertheless it by no means fairly hits as deep as The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Winnie the Pooh got here be a bit goofy and empty at occasions, however its robust emotional core makes it the winner. The top of this movie is among the many highlights of all of Disney canon.