Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gentle saving-Christmas tale for preschoolers.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
What's the Story?
The Pooh crew knows that Santa's in trouble when they rescue a tiny reindeer named Holly caught in tree branches, and she tells them Santa's magic toy sack is missing and Christmas is about to be cancelled. Lucky for Holly, Lumpy and Roo saw the toy sack in the snow. Since Holly is still too young to fly, they must walk back to the North Pole and hope they arrive in time, donning their Super Sleuth masks for the crucial mission ahead. Lessons great for preschoolers are learned on the walk north (though no one talks about how far away the North Pole really is). At one point the friends despair and think of turning back, but persevere and are rewarded with a ride on Santa's sleigh. Thrown into the mix are some original songs, which are rather unremarkable. At least snowmen in top hats dance through one of them. When the dialogue focuses on lessons, the story slows down. But don't despair -- Pooh and Pals do get to Santa's sleigh eventually and the magic of Christmas wins out in the end.
Is It Any Good?
Parents who grew up with the classic Winnie the Pooh shorts based on the A.A. Milne stories will be disappointed when they sit down with their preschoolers to watch this movie. The animation is computerized, there's no Christopher Robin (it's Darby now), the voices are a little off, and there's some gimmick involving Pooh and friends as private I's. But kids who enjoy the show it's based on, My Friends Tigger & Pooh, really won't mind. In fact, they'll love Darby and the sleuthing bit, and will love watching their pals save Christmas.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Santa, the meaning of Christmas, presents, and Santa's magic sack of toys. What are kids most excited about at Christmastime, and what does Christmas mean to you? How did Pooh and his friends help the reindeer and Santa?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 17, 2007
- On DVD or streaming : November 19, 2007
- Cast : Chloe Grace Moretz , Dee Bradley Baker , Jim Cummings
- Director : Jim Janicek
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Run time : 44 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 20, 2019
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