Memorable, crazy movie

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Unless you've read any of A.A. Milne's original works, then your image of Winnie the Pooh is the treacly cartoons released by Disney. But there was another set of cartoons depicting the honey-obsessed bear. This set got produced by Soyuzmultfilm, a studio in the Soviet Union, and their Pooh looks more ursine than the Disney one. The first one was "Vinni-Pukh" (the Russian pronunciation of the bear's name). In this one, Pooh wants to get some honey out of a beehive, and so he enlists Piglet's help (Piglet is called Pyatachok in Russian). Naturally there are a few snags. I particularly liked Pooh's nonsense singing. This particular cartoon doesn't include the rest of the characters. It's all about Pooh, Piglet, and the bees. Anyone interested in the history of animation can't afford to miss this short.

I don't think the Soviet Winnie was considerably better or worse than the American, even if only the American version managed Oscar glory. It's clearly different and though it's interesting to compare the two. I'd clearly succeed more in that if it hadn't been quite a while since I saw the American version, but some things come to mind. First of all, the one here has much darker fur while the American is pretty much in the color of honey, which, however, both really love. Also the Soviet Winnie is way more active, almost hyperactive compared to the lazy lethargic Disney Pooh, but equally good-natured and naive. Also his singing was pretty funny and, in contrast to the rest of the story, you won't need subtitles to adore his voice. Winnie doesn't wear the famous red shirt here and beyond his appearance, it should be noted that the surroundings totally look different compared to the character, pretty much like a picture painted by a child, which adds a lot charm to this film.It only goes for 10 minutes and is the first of a trilogy by Fyodor Khitruk, who died not too long ago being way into his 90s. One of my favorite moments was Pooh's reaction when he looks into the camera early on and spots us watching him. Piglet, cute as always, joins Pooh here in his quest for robbing a honeycomb, but these bees sure know how to put up a fight and the fact that Winnie isn't the smartest exactly surely doesn't help. The original Pooh-bear is a must-watch for animation lovers and an entertaining choice for everybody else as well. Also we find out where his name comes from. Recommended.

Having just read Amid on Cartoon Brew about this Russian animated version of Winnie the Pooh, I just had to click on the YouTube link to see if Woolie Reitherman was right about this one being better than his for Disney. It certainly is! While I was often charmed by Sterling Holloway's voice in the Disney version, hearing the lines spoken from the former Soviet Republic and listening to the original songs from the old country brings such an otherworld feeling that I can't help thinking how livelier the Russian version was compared to the conventional American take of an English author's tale. Only Pooh and Piglet are in this story of the bear flying in a balloon with Piglet trying to get him down with his pop rifle while bees surround the stuck-in-the-air bear! No Christopher Robin which makes the story better! And great abstract-like drawings gives this short more individual personality than the more faithful-to-original-drawings one from Disney (though the Disney shorts have their own charm). Well worth seeing for international animation buffs.

I don't mean to generalize, but if you really want to get some sense of the difference between Russian and American animation (with many many exceptions, obviously), just compare this phenomenal Vinni Pukh with the wretched Disney Winnie the Pooh. The Disney one is sentimental, pandering, unsophisticated, and dumb. Winnie himself lethargically stumbles along like a middle-aged man with a developmental disability. Vinni, however, is vigorous, adventurous, and witty. He's sly and he has attitude. He is no longer a disposable "silly old bear," he is a worthy protagonist. Pyatachok is not a pathetic, feathery-voiced ball of pink. He is vibrant and fun, and their friendship, so beautifully rendered by Milne and made sappy and idiotic by Disney, is here authentic and moving once again. Soviet animation at its best.