Film Review - The Tigger Movie

On release, the Tigger Movie was roundly slated by critics, and adored by children. And so it should be. The day that critics review a kids movie and actually get it right will be a sad day in Neverland.

The appeal of Tigger, whether to children, teenage goths with "ironic" backpacks, or those of us who enjoy breaking things, will always be his complete honesty and anarchic bouncing. The movie opens with Tigger destroying Eeyore's house and the attempts to rebuild it, there is a particularly harrowing moment when Eeyore is about to be crushed by a giant rock, but this is thankfully averted. Having proved more of a hindrance than a help, Tigger bounds over to Owl's house, where he marvels at his friend's extensive family tree. The thought of a whole family of Tiggers, though worrying to Rabbit, leads our hero to seek out the rest of the clan.

Attempting to satisfy Tigger's quest for a family, Pooh and friends are forced to disguise themselves as other Tiggers and attend the family reunion. Needless to say, the beans are spilled, and our bouncy friend begins a painfully defiant search for his family tree, which he theorises will be the "most stripedy" tree in the Hundred Acre Wood. One terrible snowstorm and a daring rescue later and Tigger realises that his real family are Pooh, Piglet and his other loving friends.

Those who branded this film as "corny", "formulaic" and "merchandise driven" have entirely missed the point. The ideology of the Tigger Movie, (and that's a phrase I never thought I'd see) is that the old notion of the nuclear family is not longer applicable to today's children. Children in the 21st century do not necessarily go home to mum, dad, brothers and sisters. They may live with single parent families, same sex couples, grandparents, adoptive parents or foster families. The Tigger Movie emphasises that blood groups, looks and genetics do not a family make, and that love is the only necessary ingredient in a modern family group. Putting our textbooks away for a moment, the Tigger Movie will make you laugh and cry, and has some great songs. I myself have now perfected the Super duper loop-de-looper alley-ooper bounce.