Tigger Movie, The

Tigger Movie, The is rated G:

We’ve always been told the most wonderful thing about Tiggers (besides their bouncy, flouncy natures) is their uniqueness after all Tigger is the only one.

So it comes as a bit of a surprise when this film opens with Tigger (voiced by Jim Cummings) in a sad state because he is the only one. After a long-winded explanation from Owl (voice of Andre Stojka) about family trees, Tigger begins searching through the forest with his greatest admirer Roo (voice of Nikita Hopkins), the baby kangaroo, looking for the tallest, grandest tree in the woods with visions of Tiggers atop every branch. When this tactic fails, Tigger's friends help him write a letter to his family. But when no one writes back, the Pooh gang takes it upon themselves to draft a courteous reply.

Receiving their note, Tigger becomes so excited that he plans for his family's arrival the next day. Now Winnie the Pooh (also voiced by Jim Cummings) and his friends decide to stretch their lie even further and dress up as Tigger’s relatives, but their striped chum is only fooled for a few moments. After discovering the hoax, he impulsively ventures out to find his real family in the midst of a blizzard. When the concerned pals follow, everyone is swept under an avalanche, creating a scene that may frighten young viewers.

Tigger’s longing for family is a predominant theme in this movie, providing a positive message. Although his friends turn to lying in an effort to protect him from heartbreak, it is obvious to this isn’t the best solution to the problem. And in the end Tigger does recognize his friends were motivated by their love for him.

It’s a shame there isn’t a market for the 30-minute animations that Walt Disney originally created from A.A. Milne’s stories. Capturing the innocence of childhood, those early featurettes, like the Academy Award winning Blustery Day, brought Milne’s work to life. But his short prose and poems were never appropriate for a feature length movie, which is why Disney Studio’s storytellers have resorted to formulistic plots and climactic endings for their more recent productions, like this title and Pooh’s Grand Adventure (neither of which are directly based on any of Milne’s works). With Milne’s death in 1956, it seems the “hunny” pot has run dry.

Studio: 2000 Disney Enterprises, Inc..

Instead of lying and pretending to be his relatives, what could Tigger’s friends have done to help him with his feelings of loneliness?

Disney’s half hour segments of A.A. Milne’s stories (Winnie thee Pooh and the Honey Tree, Blustery Day, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too and A Day for Eeyore) were put together as one movie in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Other tales from the Hundred Acre Wood include Pooh’s Grand Adventure, Piglet’s Big Movie and Pooh’s Heffalump Movie .

The Tigger Movie: 10^th Anniversary Edition

Release Date: 4 August 2009

Celebrating its 10^th Anniversary, Disney’s The Tigger Movie releases to DVD in a 2-disc set. Bonus material includes:

- Music Video: Your Heart Will Lead You Home, by Kenny Loggins.

- Interactive Features: Scene Access, Menus, Create Your Own Family Tree.

- Games: Trivia Game, Matching Game.

- DVD Storybook

- Sing Along Song: Round My Family Tree

- Digital Copy