Pooh’s Heffalump Movie
Director: Frank Nissan
Cast: Nikita Hopkins, Kyle Stanger, Jim Cummings, Ken Sansom, Peter Cullen, John Fielder, Kath Soucie, Brenda Blethyn,
Inspired by the classic A.A. Milne story, Pooh’s Heffalump Movie follows Kanga’s young son, Roo (Nikita Hopkins), as he embarks on a journey to discover a mysterious trumpeting noise that is echoing through the Hundred Acre Wood. After hearing what they believe is the vicious and terrifying Heffalump, Winnie the Pooh (Jim Cummings) and his friends set out, with much trepidation, to try to trap the ‘monster’. Excluded from the search, little Roo goes off on his own, hoping to find a Heffalump. He soon meets a young, playful Heffalump called Lumpy (Kyle Stanger), with whom he becomes friends. Roo and Lumpy set out to prove to their friends and families that they have nothing to fear from each other.
Growing up is a powerful theme in this film, and nowhere does it shine more, than in the characters of Roo, and his new friend, Lumpy, and how they use their friendship to teach the "grownups" that sometimes what you believe to be true, is not actually the truth, itself.
Little Roo is sad that he cannot join his friends on their expedition to capture the Heffalumps, because Rabbit says Roo is too young to go with them, and he might get hurt, because the expedition is fraught with dangers. When Roo tells his mother, Kanga (Kath Soucie), that he wishes he was "grown up by tomorrow" so that he can go on the adventure with his friends to see the Heffalumps, Kanga tells her young son "Growing up doesn't happen all it once...it takes its own time." She tells Roo not to grow up too fast. I think that both Roo and Lumpy (the little Heffalump that Roo befriends) find a beautiful way of growing up when they learn to see each other, not as scary monsters, but as dear friends. Roo shows his friendship to Lumpy when he comforts him in the forest, when they are searching for Lumpy’s mother. His friendship is shown again, when Roo defends Lumpy, after the other animals try to trap the little Heffalump.
Lumpy’s moment of growing up is illustrated beautifully in the little Heffalump’s journey to “find his own call”. When he first meets Roo, Lumpy tells Roo that his Mommy promised him that he would find his own call when he grows up. Lumpy is still a child, and while he tries many times throughout the story to make his own call, he can only blow air through his trunk. When Roo and Lumpy are trying to find the little Heffalump’s mother, Lumpy tries making his call again and again, hoping his mother will hear him and come find him. When she doesn’t come, Lumpy feels very sad and scared, and tells Roo that he wants his Mommy. Roo sings him the same song that Kanga sang, hoping to comfort his friend. Lumpy’s call finally rings across the Hundred Acre Wood when Roo is trapped in a deep hole. Kanga and the others can’t reach little Roo, and Lumpy finds the courage to make his own call when he calls for his mother to come and help him save Roo.
Impressions play another vital role in illustrating the way the characters are perceived by both sides in the story. The characters in the Hundred Acre Wood have always believed that Heffalumps are vicious, scary monsters. When they hear a mysterious trumpeting sound echoing through the woods, they are initially very frightened, and their fears are only made worse when Rabbit tells them that there is only one creature who can emanate such a terrible noise: a Heffalump…and its trumpeting call means that the Heffalump is coming to eat them. Along with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore, Rabbit embarks on an expedition into Heffalump Hollow “to drive the beasts out of the Hundred Acre Wood forever.” That is their perception of the truth. In fact, the noise wasn’t coming from a monster at all; it was a mother Heffalump, who was searching for her lost baby in their woods. The trumpeting they heard was Mama Heffalump’s call.
When Roo finds a new little friend named Lumpy, he initially follows his friends’ example and tries to capture Lumpy to prove to the others that he is grown up enough to go on an expedition with them. After spending a bit of time with his new friend, Roo discovers that the little Heffalump is actually very nice and fun, and the pair soon form a very sweet bond. When Roo invites Lumpy to come to their side of the fence and meet his friends, Lumpy becomes very frightened. He tells Roo that wants to go home to his Mommy, because that part of the woods is scary, and dangerous creatures live there. However, Roo reassures Lumpy that he is wrong. The pair soon realize that they share a great deal in common, and after a fun afternoon of playing, their friendship is born, and Roo tells Lumpy that he’s no longer “captured”. When they encounter Kanga and the others, Lumpy’s impression of Tigger, Rabbit and Piglet seems to be proven true, when they capture the little Heffalump in one of their traps. Roo protects Lumpy by teaching them all that friends can come in all shapes and sizes, and that it is not fair to judge someone just by a false impression.
I have always had a special place in my heart for Winnie the Pooh, and this film illustrates, once more, why these characters are so special and timeless. The animation, done in the classic Winnie the Pooh style, is stunning, the songs are charming and sweet, and the story is deeply heartfelt, and rings with an unvarnished and sincerely emotional truth that anyone who has grown up with these characters can connect with. I would highly recommend this film to anyone who loves Winnie the Pooh.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Frank Nissan
Cast: Nikita Hopkins, Kyle Stanger, Jim Cummings, Ken Sansom, Peter Cullen, John Fielder, Kath Soucie, Brenda Blethyn,
Inspired by the classic A.A. Milne story, Pooh’s Heffalump Movie follows Kanga’s young son, Roo (Nikita Hopkins), as he embarks on a journey to discover a mysterious trumpeting noise that is echoing through the Hundred Acre Wood. After hearing what they believe is the vicious and terrifying Heffalump, Winnie the Pooh (Jim Cummings) and his friends set out, with much trepidation, to try to trap the ‘monster’. Excluded from the search, little Roo goes off on his own, hoping to find a Heffalump. He soon meets a young, playful Heffalump called Lumpy (Kyle Stanger), with whom he becomes friends. Roo and Lumpy set out to prove to their friends and families that they have nothing to fear from each other.
Growing up is a powerful theme in this film, and nowhere does it shine more, than in the characters of Roo, and his new friend, Lumpy, and how they use their friendship to teach the "grownups" that sometimes what you believe to be true, is not actually the truth, itself.
Little Roo is sad that he cannot join his friends on their expedition to capture the Heffalumps, because Rabbit says Roo is too young to go with them, and he might get hurt, because the expedition is fraught with dangers. When Roo tells his mother, Kanga (Kath Soucie), that he wishes he was "grown up by tomorrow" so that he can go on the adventure with his friends to see the Heffalumps, Kanga tells her young son "Growing up doesn't happen all it once...it takes its own time." She tells Roo not to grow up too fast. I think that both Roo and Lumpy (the little Heffalump that Roo befriends) find a beautiful way of growing up when they learn to see each other, not as scary monsters, but as dear friends. Roo shows his friendship to Lumpy when he comforts him in the forest, when they are searching for Lumpy’s mother. His friendship is shown again, when Roo defends Lumpy, after the other animals try to trap the little Heffalump.
Lumpy’s moment of growing up is illustrated beautifully in the little Heffalump’s journey to “find his own call”. When he first meets Roo, Lumpy tells Roo that his Mommy promised him that he would find his own call when he grows up. Lumpy is still a child, and while he tries many times throughout the story to make his own call, he can only blow air through his trunk. When Roo and Lumpy are trying to find the little Heffalump’s mother, Lumpy tries making his call again and again, hoping his mother will hear him and come find him. When she doesn’t come, Lumpy feels very sad and scared, and tells Roo that he wants his Mommy. Roo sings him the same song that Kanga sang, hoping to comfort his friend. Lumpy’s call finally rings across the Hundred Acre Wood when Roo is trapped in a deep hole. Kanga and the others can’t reach little Roo, and Lumpy finds the courage to make his own call when he calls for his mother to come and help him save Roo.
Impressions play another vital role in illustrating the way the characters are perceived by both sides in the story. The characters in the Hundred Acre Wood have always believed that Heffalumps are vicious, scary monsters. When they hear a mysterious trumpeting sound echoing through the woods, they are initially very frightened, and their fears are only made worse when Rabbit tells them that there is only one creature who can emanate such a terrible noise: a Heffalump…and its trumpeting call means that the Heffalump is coming to eat them. Along with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore, Rabbit embarks on an expedition into Heffalump Hollow “to drive the beasts out of the Hundred Acre Wood forever.” That is their perception of the truth. In fact, the noise wasn’t coming from a monster at all; it was a mother Heffalump, who was searching for her lost baby in their woods. The trumpeting they heard was Mama Heffalump’s call.
When Roo finds a new little friend named Lumpy, he initially follows his friends’ example and tries to capture Lumpy to prove to the others that he is grown up enough to go on an expedition with them. After spending a bit of time with his new friend, Roo discovers that the little Heffalump is actually very nice and fun, and the pair soon form a very sweet bond. When Roo invites Lumpy to come to their side of the fence and meet his friends, Lumpy becomes very frightened. He tells Roo that wants to go home to his Mommy, because that part of the woods is scary, and dangerous creatures live there. However, Roo reassures Lumpy that he is wrong. The pair soon realize that they share a great deal in common, and after a fun afternoon of playing, their friendship is born, and Roo tells Lumpy that he’s no longer “captured”. When they encounter Kanga and the others, Lumpy’s impression of Tigger, Rabbit and Piglet seems to be proven true, when they capture the little Heffalump in one of their traps. Roo protects Lumpy by teaching them all that friends can come in all shapes and sizes, and that it is not fair to judge someone just by a false impression.
I have always had a special place in my heart for Winnie the Pooh, and this film illustrates, once more, why these characters are so special and timeless. The animation, done in the classic Winnie the Pooh style, is stunning, the songs are charming and sweet, and the story is deeply heartfelt, and rings with an unvarnished and sincerely emotional truth that anyone who has grown up with these characters can connect with. I would highly recommend this film to anyone who loves Winnie the Pooh.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.