The Tigger Movie

Released theatrically in 2000, The Tigger Movie follows the title character (voiced by Jim Cummings) as he embarks on a quest to locate other members of his family – with such familiar faces as Winnie the Pooh (Cummings), Roo (Nikita Hopkins), and Eeyore (Peter Cullen) assisting the excitable tiger in his ongoing efforts. There’s little doubt that The Tigger Movie, armed with an easygoing, downright low-key atmosphere, has been designed to appeal primarily towards younger audiences, with the almost simplistic storyline and emphasis on good-natured shenanigans certainly ensuring that kids will find plenty worth embracing here. It’s just as clear, however, that older viewers will find themselves scratching their heads over the appeal of the Hundred Acre Wood’s various denizens, as the characters, cute and personable as they may be, are simply not developed to the point where they can effectively sustain a feature-length endeavor. This is particularly true of Tigger himself; though he’s certainly an endearing figure, Tigger’s perpetual exuberance becomes increasingly tough to take as the movie unfolds and it’s subsequently obvious that he’s the sort of character that works best in small doses (ie it’d be like making a Seinfeld movie with just Kramer). And while it’s hard to deny the strength of the thoroughly heartwarming conclusion, The Tigger Movie‘s pervasively innocuous sensibilities ensure that it ultimately manages to outstay its welcome in a fairly significant way (which is, given the running time of 77 minutes, no small feat).

** out of ****