Cheap Winnie the Pooh - BBC Edition (Video) Price

For better or worse, Disney has defined Winnie the Pooh for American audiences, which leaves alternatives, like this collection of nonanimated, narrated stories from the BBC, at a disadvantage. In this more sedate version, there is no orange-striped Tigger, diminutive pink Piglet, or gray, somber Eeyore, which may disappoint young viewers accustomed to Disney's colorful Pooh cartoons and fast-moving adventures. Here, British storyteller Willie Rushton narrates four of A.A. Milne's original tales in this one-hour program. "Welcome to Pooh Country," he begins, while clad in a tweed vest, scarf, and cap, standing before cameras in Sussex, England's forest, the inspiration for Milne's Hundred Acre Wood. Rushton launches into Milne's beloved tales about Kanga's pocket-sized pouch for Roo, Pooh's new game called poohsticks, and Christopher Robin's enchanted hideaway. This is well and good for Pooh purists who wish Disney had never won the licensing rights to Milne's tales. Children, however, may not be as thrilled with a collection that focuses on the sober, bearded Rushton who, although a zealous storyteller, rarely cracks a smile. While he narrates, E.H. Shepard's original illustrations momentarily appear on the screen before quickly returning to Rushton's visage. To be fair, Rushton offers enthusiastic storytelling, marvelous uses of the English language, and believable voices for all the characters. Yet viewers will wish to see more of Pooh and less of Rushton, and may become restless with the slow-moving monologues. Better would be seamless footage of Shepard's illustrations with the narrator's voice in the background. Better still would be to read Milne's books and let one's imagination do the rest. --Lynn Gibson

CATEGORY:	Video
MANUFACTURER:	20th Century Fox
MPAA RATING:	NR (Not Rated)
FEATURES:	Animated, Color, NTSC
TYPE:	Children's Video, Childrens, Movie
MEDIA:	VHS Tape
# OF MEDIA:	1
UPC:	086162377037