Once in a great while Americans take a movie into their hearts and make it an important part of popular culture. They steal quotes from it and use them out of context, hang up posters featuring the main characters, and buy all kinds of ridiculous paraphernalia that will wind up in their attics one day. We hold these movies in the highest regard because they are one-of-a-kind classics.
Then we make sequels of them.
"The Tigger Movie" is the most highly-anticipated sequel since "Scream 3" and gives the lovable, huggable, T-I-double Guh-Rrr his first starring role on the silver screen. After lavishing him with rave reviews for his supporting role in "The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh," many critics expected Tigger to produce an Oscar-caliber performance in Disney's latest full-length feature film. Unfortunately, it appears that Tigger was not quite ready to carry a film on his very rubbery shoulders.
The basic premise of "The Tigger Movie" is that Tigger has decided that being the only one of his kind is not all that "wonderful-underful" after all. In fact, he is getting downright lonely and tired of having no bouncing partners.
A concerned Roo encourages Tigger to find his family, since he must have one somewhere. Tigger and Roo bounce all over the 100 Acre Wood in a vain attempt to find the Tigger family tree, which should be easy to find since it will be "the biggest and bestest tree of all" and will be covered in stripes, just like Tigger himself. Winnie the Pooh, Piglet and Eeyore mount their own "expotition" in search of the Tigger clan after hearing of their friend's depression.
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While one could reasonably argue that Tigger stole the show in "The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh," it is the silly ol' bear who takes the striped one's thunder in this sequel.
Near the end of the movie little Roo comes to Pooh in tears because Tigger has run away in the midst of a terrible snowstorm, to which Winnie bravely steps up and declares that he will venture out into the snow to find him. It is a touching sequence that establishes Pooh as a Mr. Miyagi-like hero, both cuddly and strong at the same time.
After many hours of searching, Roo suggests that Tigger write his family a letter. The wind carries the envelope high into the air and waits for a response. When word does not come, Roo gathers together Tigger's friends to write a letter to their distraught pal in an attempt to lift his spirits.
Tigger is overjoyed to hear from what he thinks is a family of other Tiggers, much to the delight of his friends, but takes it one step further by preparing for the imminent arrival of his relatives. He decorates his home and even builds a family room so they will have enough room to bounce all night. Kanga makes Tigger costumes for herself, Roo, Piglet, Pooh and Owl, and that night the party of five makes its way to Tigger's house in all their striped splendor.
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In a plot twist that I never saw coming, Tigger figures out his friends' costumes and becomes angry at their cunning attempt to trick him. Tigger then walks (not bounces) off into the raging storm, determined to find the family that wrote him such a nice letter. Pooh and Roo then enlist the leadership skills of Rabbit as they search for Tigger.
While the original "Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" is so cherished because of its simplicity and quiet charm, "The Tigger Movie" runs at a much faster pace and falls flat many times because it simply tries too hard to be funny. The first half of the film is of the same quality as the straight-to-video "Aladdin" sequels, but the second half is a fun, light-hearted romp through the forest of a young man's childhood. Tigger and Pooh have swapped roles for this tale; Pooh is most deserving of a Best Supporting Actor nod from the Academy while Tigger's performance was mediocre at best.
Much like Jim Carrey before him, Tigger should consider toning down the slapstick humor and taking a more thoughtful approach to comedy if he ever wishes to grow as a movie star. His movie, however, is already worthy of praise.
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