DVD Review
Piglet's Big Movie
Piglet's Big Movie poster
By Lee Tistaert     Published July 24, 2003
US Release: March 21, 2003


Starring: John Fiedler , Jim Cummings

G
Running Time: 75 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $23,074,000
C+
101 of 132
Works as an okay rental as long as you?ve got distractions while viewing
Piglet?s Big Movie is friendly enough, but it ends up being a little too much like an extended Saturday Night Live skit concept.

One of my complaints was that it?s Piglet?s movie, and I?d rather have had it been Winnie the Pooh?s (or the clan in general). It?s been a very long time since I?ve seen a Winnie the Pooh episode, but watching this film begin, all my childhood memories came back; when the film is centered on Piglet, though, that sensation faded away.
For whom this animated adventure is aimed at, it is then no surprise at the material in the film; but since my film standards are a bit higher than when I was six years old, I can?t say the material still floats appropriately. Piglet?s Big Movie begins softly enough in tone and spirit and actually had me anticipating a charming ride, but as it ventures along its themes and messages are hammered a little too much into our brains.

The film follows Winnie the Pooh and clan starting a honey harvest; only thing is, they exclude Piglet in this journey due to his small size and incompetent nature. As Piglet vanishes out of sight, his friends grow apprehensive and realize the immoral act they have just put upon Piglet, and now attempt to track Piglet down through his own book of memories.

Piglet?s Big Movie is very lighthearted, but it?s missing the grand adventure that came out of the classic episodes I remember growing up to. Perhaps I?m all grown up now and its motivations seem old school at this stage, but even for a family diversion this trip is lacking in the entertainment and wonder field that Winnie the Pooh was always known for. The humor here, while never meant to be laugh-out-loud funny, is more so applied in cutesy devices rather than offering its share of jokes and gags to more than one audience demographic.

The film will likely please toddlers easily, but only to a certain age. The musical numbers are appropriate for the young ones of which the filmmakers are going for (as are the obvious themes about not letting one?s size in a situation restrict one's voice), but to anyone outside of that audience group, much of the material handed over is a bit elementary.

That being said, Piglet?s Big Movie works as an okay rental (for non-toddlers) as long as you?ve got distractions while viewing; don?t count on a lot, and Piglet may be (moderately) tolerable.

DVD Features:
- Piglet's Book of Memories: Help Piglet find his missing drawings
- Sing with the Movie (Viewing Option)
- The World According to Piglet: The 3-D book of remembrances past with confidence-inspiring 'Pigletisms'
- DVD-Rom: Print your own Piglet coloring book

Audio Features:
- (English) Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
- Spanish and French Language Tracks
Lee's Grade: C+
Ranked #101 of 132 between Holes (#100) and Bulletproof Monk (#102) for 2003 movies.
Lee's Overall Grading: 3025 graded movies
A0.4%
B30.0%
C61.7%
D8.0%
F0.0%
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