Bluray Review: ‘Winnie the Pooh’

I got to see Winnie the Pooh back in July and really loved the film. You can read my review here. The only thing I would like to add to that is that you should be sure to watch it all the way to the very end, past the credits. There is a fun bonus!

The Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack has many great features. The first of which is the option for something called Dolby Digital Descriptive Video Service. This is actually for sight-impaired. A woman’s voice describes the scenery over the action and dialogue. It’s worth a look.

Blu-ray Bonus Features:

• “Winnie the Pooh and His Story Too” – A fun and informative behind-the-scenes look at the film, designed for the whole family. Hosted by John Cleese (narrator of the film), and with occasional help from Pooh himself, this featurette explores Winnie the Pooh‟s history from his beginnings as a character in a book, to his continued life in the movies. The filmmakers reveal how they worked to keep the look of the characters and settings in this movie consistent with their first appearances on-screen in 1966. Pooh, being a bear of very little mind, finds much of this confusing, but the Narrator and the filmmakers make it all clear to Pooh – and you! 8 minutes – A very interesting and fun look at the history of the “silly old bear.” It’s told like a Pooh story with the type and all.
• Deleted Scenes introduced by directors, Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 5 deleted scenes including “The Tummy Song,” (extended version, Black & white animated versions. Very enjoyable even for kids) “”Rabbit‟s Friends and Relations,” (original introductions of Rabbits friends and relations whi were left out of the final film. Sketches, so not as watchable, but still neat) “Original Eeyore Intro,” (fully animated, just missing John Cleese’s voice) “Original Tigger Intro” (black and white animated sketches, more extended) and “Pooh Searches for a Tail”  (color sketches, mostly narration)
  
• Bonus Shorts
• “The Ballad of Nessie” – The animated short film included in the theatrical release is the heartwarming tale of how Nessie found her new home in the Loch Ness. (cute short. must watch)
• Exclusive bonus short “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon” – In this charming short, Pooh comes up with a daring plan to get a hold of some honey by fooling a group of bees. (my favorite part of the original movie. Pooh rolls in mud to be a “little black raincloud” to get some honey)
• Sing-Along with the Movie – Follow the red balloon and changing word colors to seven song lyrics featured in the film. (very cute for kids)
• Disney Song Selection – “Winnie the Pooh Theme Song,” “The Tummy Song, “A Very Important Thing To Do,” “The Backson Song,” “It‟s Gonna Be Great,” “Everything is Honey” and “The Winner Song Finale” (kinda like scene selection, but just for songs)
• Creating the perfect Winnie the Pooh Nursery (Ellie and Melissa have tips for creating a Winnie the Pooh nursery. I have never seen anything like this, but it’s really kinda cool. Disneybaby.com)

DVD Bonus Features:

• “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon”
• “The Ballad of Nessie”
• Deleted scenes introduced by directors, Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 3 deleted scenes including “The Tummy Song,” “”Rabbit‟s Friends and Relations” and “Pooh Searches for a Tail”

Movie Download Bonus Features:

• “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon”
• “The Ballad of Nessie”
• Deleted Scenes introduced directors. Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 3 deleted scenes including “The Tummy Song,” “Rabbit‟s Friends and Relations” and “Pooh Searches for a Tail”

How to Buy:

• 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) $44.99 U.S. and $51.99 Canada
• 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) $39.99 U.S. and $46.99 Canada
• 1-Disc DVD $29.99 U.S. and $35.99 Canada
• High-Definition Movie Download $39.99 U.S. and $44.99 Canada (cheaper if you buy the Blu-ray or DVD and register at DisneyMovieRewards.com)
• Standard-Definition Movie Download $29.99 U.S. and $35.99 Canada (cheaper if you buy the Blu-ray or DVD and register at DisneyMovieRewards.com)