Story
When a trumpeting blast echoes across the Hundred Acre Wood, Tigger, Pooh and Piglet are scared. They immediately set off for Rabbit’s house to find out what could make such a frightful noise. Roo has heard the noise too and has also discovered a set of enormous footprints leading to Heffalump Hollow. Rabbit explains that Heffalumps are horrible, dangerous, creatures. So the characters decide to go on an expedition to capture one. Roo, being too young, is left behind, so he sets out on an expedition of his own. Along the way, he meets Lumpy, who happens to be a cuddly, friendly, happy Heffalump.
While Tigger, Rabbit, Pooh, Piglet and Eeyore are still trying to capture a Heffalump, Roo and Lumpy are beginning to dispel the stereotypes and prejudices that each had about the other. Their friendship and loyalty is tested and challenged in several ways. Ultimately, though, they teach the older characters about the true meaning of friendship, understanding and respect.
Themes
None of concern
Violence
This movie contains some ‘accidental violence’. In these scenes no characters are injured, and no real-life consequences are shown:
- Tigger bounces out of control, slams into a wall and gets hit on the head by a bowling ball.
- Rabbit and Piglet are catapulted into the air and land at some far-off destination.
There are two scenes where the violence is not accidental. Although no-one is hurt, damage is done. The characters involved later show remorse for what has happened:
- Piglet and Lumpy have a ‘food fight’ in Rabbit’s vegetable garden. Lumpy uses his trunk to suck up watermelon seeds and carrots, then shoots them out of his trunk at Roo. While Roo remains unhurt, Rabbit’s garden is demolished.
- A terrified Lumpy is nearly hit by a flying battering ram that Rabbit and friends have constructed to stop the Heffalump.
Content that may disturb children
- Roo is intent on capturing a Heffalump and is imagining all the horrible things that Rabbit has told him about the creatures. He believes he has found a Heffalump hiding inside an old cavern. He is shaking and terrified as he enters the darkness. There are a few tense moments before Roo learns that he has nothing to be afraid of.
- Lumpy gets separated from his mother. Even though Roo and Lumpy look everywhere, they still can’t find her. Lumpy gets more and more worried until he is too sad to go on. He flops onto a log and cries. He doesn’t find his mother until the end of the film.
- While still worried and frightened about not finding his mother, Lumpy is ambushed by Rabbit, Tigger, Pooh and Piglet. They rush at him with ropes and nets and try to capture him with traps. Lumpy scurries, terrified, from one potential trap to another until he is stuck in a make-shift cage. He is freed by Roo, only to be pursued again and ultimately captured while cowering in fear.
Over 8
Children over eight are unlikely to be disturbed by images in this movie.
Sexual references
None
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
None
Nudity and sexual activity
None
Product placement
None
Coarse language
None
Ideas to discuss with your children
Pooh’s Heffalump Movie is a movie for very young children. The issues and topics raised in the movie could be of interest to children over eight, but they might find the film somewhat babyish.
The movie’s message is that people are not always as they appear, and that sometimes it is children who teach us the most important lessons about life. You might like to discuss the topic of prejudice with your child. You could point out how misunderstandings can arise when you believe in stereotypes and don’t question them.