Film Snark

Winnie the Pooh, an orange stuffed bear in a red shirt, sits on a log outside a wooden entryway, with a sign that says "RNIG ALSO". In front of him is a campfire with a small smoke cloud rising from it, and he's holding a stick towards the fire, and pointing at the "RNIG ALSO" sign.
B
Disney Animated Features

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Released: March 11th, 1977

"It's not much of a tail, but I'm attached to it."

This is a really spectacular use of the sketchy style that characterizes films after Sleeping Beauty. Finally they found a story that benefits from it instead of suffering from it.

Notable Grossness

It would have been so easy for Pooh Bear to roll in gray mud instead of black mud. :sigh:

There is so much charm to be had in this movie. The voice work is iconic, the story is iconic, the format of a bunch of little illustrated moments is perfect. There's great gentle humor. "Tut tut! It looks like rain! Tut tut! It looks like rain!"

TIGGER TIGGER TIGGER look if Tigger isn't your favorite Hundred Acre Wood resident, I don't want to know you. Tigger, an orange-and-black striped stuffed tiger with a white belly, stands on the stomach of Pooh Bear, a light brown bear in a purple nightshirt and nightcap, who is laying on the ground in his house in a tree trunk. The caption near Tigger says, 'My cat at 3am,' and the caption near Pooh says, 'Me.'

Heffalumps and Woozles! Come on! This throwback to the pink elephants in Dumbo is great - it's FREAKY as hell. Way to put Pooh Bear into a dystopian hellscape, Tigger.

Rabbit, you horrible jerk. Trying to lose Tigger and then trying to ruin his entire life. Rude rude rude.

Some of the stories are more boring than the others, but this is such a wonderful introduction to some of my favorite characters (specifically Pooh, Tigger, Roo, and Eeyore).

April 20th, 2021
Pete's Dragon
A movie release poster shows a group of white people, 4 men, a woman, and a young boy, surrounding a green animated dragon with pink wings and red hair. The poster says "Coming at Christmas, Walt Disney Productions' Pete's Dragon"
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Five human actors, a woman, a man, and three children of various ages, sit on a flying brass bed with a floral blanket, with the moon and clouds behind them. Below them, illustrated animals are in various poses: two fish dance together (one in a suit); two fish and an octopus play in a band together with the words "The Briny Boys" on the front of the drum kit; an alligator, a rhino, and a gorilla run around a soccer field in yellow and green athletic outfits; a lion in a crown and red royal robe stands with one foot on the soccer ball; and a secretary bird in a suit with glasses stands watching.

Recent Snark

Bert, a chimney sweep, Jane, a young blonde child in a red dress and yellow overcoat, Michael, a young strawberry blonde child in short pants and a button coat, and Mary Poppins, a nanny in a red dress with a black hat with white flowers, stand on a rooftop, covered in soot.

Mary Poppins

Julie Andrews is a genuine delight, whether she's being fun or she's irritated. It's not just her voice, her whole presence is just delightful. George and Winifred Banks are excellent side characters, and the kids are as adorable as they need to be. Dick Van Dyke is a national treasure and I won't hear a word against him.

Structurally, there's not really a plot, but that makes sense given that it's based on a series of kind of episodic books. It's also very long. I think the length and episodic nature takes away from the character study of stuffy, cross Mr. Banks and how he learns from his children (and Mary Poppins and Bert) how to retain a sense of wonder and joy. But it's consistently fun. The music is delightful, the dancing is wonderful, and the adventures Mary Poppins and Bert and the kids go on are spectacular. I'm sure I have nostalgia for it but I think this stands up, to be honest.

The dings on the grade are for occasional bad costumes, bad makeup, the length, the imperialist nonsense. I'm honestly tempted to raise it back up because of the flawless animation/live action melding.

September 13th, 2022
Bigfoot, a giant humanoid creature with red fur, sits in front of a cardboard box with a downward pointing arrow on the side, wearing a pair of white men's briefs underwear on his head. He holds the crotch hole open with his fingers so he can look out. Goofy, a dog-like humanoid cartoon with black skin and a pale face, and long ears, watches from his yellow car several hundred feet behind Bigfoot, with his son Max in the passenger seat; Max looks similar to Goofy.

A Goofy Movie

I know this is shameful for someone my age but I've never seen this movie before. I may have caught bits of it when my brothers were younger, but the only thing I remember is Pauly Shore doing the leaning tower of cheese-a. I'm pretty much going into this one blind.

March 1st, 2022