If you only know the dumbed-down Disney version of Winnie the Pooh, then you know nothing. I haven't read A.A. Milne's original books, but the cartoon shorts from the Soviet studio Soyuzmultfilm provide a cool take on the characters. "Vinni-Pukh idyot v gosti" ("Winnie the Pooh Pays a Visit" in English) depicts Winnie and Piglet visiting Rabbit, who decides to be friendly by offering them something to eat...only to see Winnie stuff himself! Seriously, the honey-loving ursine's eating habits here border on John Belushi in "Animal House".The Winnie the Pooh shorts weren't the only instance in which the Soviet Union made a neat - if bizarre - version of a story that Disney previously filmed. The 1983 TV movie "Meri Poppins, do svidaniya" is something that looks like the result of an acid trip. It contains 1980s music, and Bert (played by Dick Van Dyke in the more famous version) looks like a cross between Elliott Gould and Keith Richards.Anyway, this one is quite fun.

This is the second of the three Soviet Winnie Pooh films by Fyodor Khitruk, in his 50s at this point, from the late 1960s, early 1970s and it's as much fun as the first. Running time's pretty much the same, minutes are barely in double digit territory. Piglet is back too and joins Winnie on a trip to their rabbit friend. He's the "lucky" one referred to in the English title "Winnie the Pooh Goes Visiting". And as with the honeybees in the first, Winnie's huge hunger gets him in big trouble once again. After playing with piglet, he gets hungry and they go to rabbit. Winnie's singing again as always in the Soviet pooh films and I quite enjoyed his "taram-param param-taram". Having finally arrived at the rabbit hole, Winnie can't wait to get a nice meal served by the host and once it's there, he's the one eating as if he's the pig out of the two. But he's gonna pay the price for that.Animation's just like in the first one. Rather minimalist and the landscapes look like children's painting. It works though. It's a very innocent style of narration and animation. Suitable for kids and when the next Disney Pooh film hits theaters, people should show their small ones also the original Russian cartoons. They're not worse at all and not half as known as they should be. Just different. Pooh has darker fur again and Rabbit wears glasses and a red shirt. Recommended.

This was the second of the Russian Winnie the Pooh series. This one had Pooh and Piglet visiting Rabbit for a meal with honey. Pooh and Piglet eat lots of the stuff. So much of it that Pooh can't get out of the hole of the Rabbit's tree house. Rabbit and Piglet pull on Pooh's arms at the entrance so hard the tree falls down! As Rabbit ponders what happened to his home, Pooh and Piglet walk and sing as the cartoon ends. Another charming Pooh story interpreted by the former Soviet Union. Disney had previously done this as Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree. As charming as that one was, this one has its own abstract appeal that should enchant anyone with an interest in animation from other countries. Well worth a look on YouTube.