Below is a look at the latest DVD special edition, which compiles two Valentine's-related shorts. They include:
A Valentine For You
This 1999 short, written by Carter Crocker, finds Pooh and gang fretting that young Christopher Robin might be growing too old for his imaginary friends, after they learn that he's fallen for a girl. So the gang sets out to find the "smitten" (aka love bug) that bit him.
The special, following the canon of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, is filled with the usual bouquet of tiresome songs found in most Disney-themed TV specials. But the short is surprisingly heartfelt, with just a hint of sadness hidden within the subtext of the story (i.e. the idea that Christopher Robin is growing older).
While this special is hardly as cheery as previous outings, it's a well-told, meaningful short well worth your time. But if you've come to this special seeking classic A.A. Milne Winnie-the-Pooh, this simply isn't it.
Un-Valentine's Day and Three Little Piglets
This episode, directly from the series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, actually contains two separate stories. The first has the gang voting to ban Valentine's Day because Winnie the Pooh gave out too many cards the previous year. But after Pooh gets a valentine honey jar, he starts investigating who did it. Eventually, he has the whole forest exchanging valentine's cards. This short isn't quite as heartfelt as the first, but it's cute watching the plot tie together, particularly once the punch line is revealed. This episode easily represents the best of the Disney-produced series.
The second half of the episode, unfortunately, is pretty pointless. It's basically a slapped together adaption of the three little pigs. The short falls apart by the end though. Thankfully, it consumes less than five minutes of the 27-minute episode.
Score: 8 out of 10
Video and Presentation
Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You is presented in 1.33:1 full frame matted onto an anamorphic 1.78:1 frame. Disney does an amazing job of cleaning the first special up. Dust and grain as well as animation flickers and wobbliness are mostly washed away. In fact, this short looks cleaner than it ever has. The image is sharp and detailed and colors are bright and cheery, never muted or flat. As far as older animated TV specials go, this is a reference presentation.
For comparison, give the second episode, or the bonus episode of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, a peek. Both of these episodes are a mess of compression flaws and mild video degradation marred further by heavy dust and dirt specks. It's a shame these two episodes aren't quite as flawless as the first.
Score: 8 out of 10
Languages and Audio
Audio choices are English Dolby Stereo Surround 2.0 with Spanish and French subtitles and English captions for the hearing impaired. While one of the transfers has been restored to perfection, the stereo track follows suit with the former episode and the bonus episode. All three episodes receive a pretty standard mix, clean and well designed, but a 5.1 remaster could have yielded a much more enveloping presentation. Still, this track is much better than most TV specials currently on disc.
Score: 7 out of 10
Extras and Packaging
This single-disc DVD comes packed in a white amaray case with a glossy slipcover. Inside the case, there were six Valentine's cards for fans to distribute. Extras are pretty slim, but Disney does offer an additional episode of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh titled "My Hero," which runs about 11 minutes. It's a pretty amusing episode involving Tigger becoming a servant to Piglet after Piglet saves him.
There's also a fun game for the kids called "Catch the Love Bug." Finally, Disney includes the usual sneak peeks and trailers. Disney Fast Play is also available.
Score: 4 out of 10
The Bottom Line
While fans will undoubtedly yearn for bigger collections of the new and classic Winnie the Pooh TV specials and series, this DVD provides a few fun extras and a solid presentation.