Winnie the Pooh:
A Very Merry Pooh Year (2002)
Reviewed by Dustin Putman
 
(Release Date: November 5, 2013) – The 64-minute "Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year" is actually two stories (one from 1991, the other from 2002) with a wraparound structure connecting them. The first, "Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too!" finds Winnie the Pooh setting out to intercept the letter to Santa his friends of One Hundred Acre Wood have sent when Piglet reminds him he forgot to ask for anything. In the other tale, "Happy Pooh Year," Rabbit considers moving away when Pooh's honey obsession, Tigger's bouncing, Piglet's constant fears, and Eeyore's gloominess begin to rub him the wrong way. The pals vow to change their ways, but in doing so their personalities swap with each other. Slight and cuddly, warm and inviting, funny but also very much catering to little children, "Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year" is never as memorable as the viewer wishes it to be, but it has a good heart and will entertain its target audience—as well as grown-up fans of all things Pooh.
B-/B
The high-definition 1080p transfer of "Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year" is uneven and just a little bumpy, the 1991 story noticeably in rougher shape, full of strange, yellowish discolorations in the snow and Rabbit's coat fur and a couple instances of large squiggly hairs on the edges of the frame. The 2002 scenes are much more pleasing and clearly newer, with only a few errant specks of dirt in sight. The picture quality certainly looks better than the standard-def DVD version, but this one could have definitely used some cleaning up. The English 2.0 Dolby Digital is just fine; it does the trick, and nothing more.
"Disney's Song Selections" - 8 Songs with On-Screen Lyrics; Sing Along with the Movie; "Enchanted Environment" - Music, Sound Effects and Both; Disney Intermission
Fans of Disney and "Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year" will want to pick up this Blu-ray release, but those on the fence should probably wait for a sale or drop in price. Let's split the difference and give it a recommendation—with reservations.
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