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So, a few months back when I heard there was to be a Heffalump Halloween Movie, I was instantly excited. What could be better! The characters I have already grown to be fond of and my favorite day of the whole year (which is everyday for me by the way), Halloween. But with such high hopes, could this release hope to live up to my expectations?
Once again the lion's share of this film revolves around Roo and Lumpy, and their interaction as the unlikeliest of friends with a very special bond. But it is Pooh who gets things rolling this time around when he eats all of the candy the gang plans on using to celebrate Halloween. Without candy, there is no trick or treating, and without trick or treating there is no need for costumes, and without costumes there is no point to Halloween. Everyone's favorite holiday is quickly threatened with extinction, and it is going to take something very special to get things back on track.
Determined to show Lumpy his first Halloween ever and to make it a good one, Roo remembers a story told to them all by Tigger...the story of the Gobloon! The Gobloon is a creature who comes around on Halloween night and will turn you into a Jaggedy Lantern (think Jack 'o Lantern) if you fall into his grasp. But there is a twist to this particular legend; if you can catch the Gobloon he is forced to grant a single wish to his captor. A wish such as...well, to have more candy so that their Halloween can go on as planned. This chance is enough to put a plan into motion for Roo and soon he and Lumpy are off on another adventure.
But things are not destined to go without a hitch. Lumpy, it seems, is a little frightened by the whole idea of Halloween and the Gobloon is absolutely terrifying. Now Roo wants him to travel through the woods alone and attempt to capture this maniacal beastie? Surely Roo has lost his mind! They will both be turned into Jaggedy Lanterns faster than you could say Pumpkin Pie...a thought that does not seem to instill confidence in the young Heffalump.
But Halloween itself lies in the balance, so this frightful undertaking must be set into motion...there is simply no other choice. Such is the driving story of Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie; at its core a tale of sacrifices for friendship, facing one's fears, and the rewards of perseverance! Along the way, there is of course plenty of hilarious antics from the entire Hundred Acre Wood gang.
Eeyore is here, finding himself forgotten more than included in the antics of this fall holiday, Tigger has enough energy to carry out four Halloweens, candy or no candy, Rabbit just wants to protect his prize pumpkin patch from the destructive force which is his friends, Pooh finds himself swept along by thoughts of honey and more candy...his tummy apparently not satisfied with the haul he has already consumed, and even Gopher gets into the action more than usual by swapping costumes more often than Rabbit complains...and that sure is a lot of costumes.
The storytelling concept is a bit different this time around as it is sort of a half and half writing style. There is the above described storyline, but also a flashback sequence in which Roo explains to Lumpy how Piglet once overcame his fear of the holiday. I am nearly positive that this is archived footage from a previous release, but was unable to confirm this as of this writing. If it is, I am disappointed that such steps would be taken to fill half of this feature film instead of simply writing a whole story. This sequence is a good half of the tale and will delight Piglet fans in that it revolves around him primarily and features a decent song about the horrors of Halloween. And speaking of the songs...
If there is a weak link in Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie, it would without a doubt be the original songs written for the film. Across the board, each and every song is somewhat disappointing and in no way comparable with the fantastic tunes which graced the original Heffalump Movie. Even moments after hearing each song, it is nearly impossible to remember the tune, or even hum a few bars. Want to sing along with the gang? Nearly impossible...and I played a few songs over again just to test this theory. Keep in mind that as I started this review I was singing word for word one of the songs from the previous film, which I have not watched for over 6 weeks.
The animated sequences which accompany each song are done very well and each character gets a chance to shine as they perform to their tune, but there is next to no discernable melody and certainly very little hook to any single one of these songs. I was reminded of the sort of song which develops when you decide to make up a song on the spot and hurriedly devise a simplistic tune and some mismatched lyrics are pushed into place out of necessity.
Overall this musical lacking does not detract too seriously from the film, which is done very well. The characters all seem to act the way we have come to expect and the wonderful sense of adventure mixed with the importance of being with friends that has become a trademark of all things Pooh are both here in spades. The animation is not quite on par with Pooh's Heffalump Movie, but is still far ahead of some of the shoddy computer aided animation I have seen of late.
Seeing as how Lumpy is only in half of this movie (the other half being taken by Piglet's flashback story-within-a-story), the title is a bit of a misnomer. Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie makes me think that Lumpy would have had more screen time, but it is actually nice to see some of the original fellows sharing in the spotlight so often reserved for the latest and greatest characters only.
The story is fantastic, but the extra features are a little thin here. You get four different games and activities, but none of the other bonuses that I am used to seeing. I did enjoy the DVD-ROM recipes and "Jaggedy Lantern" printouts for young ones to decorate, as I pride myself on having carved a mean pumpkin or two in my day.
A nice addition to your collection and of course I am partial to the Halloween theme...but I sure do wish more attention was paid to the music. If they hadn't have done so well last time around this particular point might not have stuck in my craw so bad, but they showed us what these movies are capable of delivering. To get less now is frustrating, but this time around can be overlooked because of the nice story and great mildly scary fun for a young generation of Halloween fans. A great companion to Frankenpooh if you own it, and combined they will offer you family a whole evening of fun on All Hallows Eve.
-aaron-
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