Taking his Heffalumps in stride

The Walt Disney Co. has long displayed a fondness for bears -- particularly a certain hunny-loving character from the Hundred Acre Wood. Since Disney acquired the rights to A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh books in 1961, the studio has released several memorable shorts, including 1966’s “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree” and the Oscar-winning 1968 classic, “Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day,” plus a long-running TV series, “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh,” as well as holiday specials and educational videos.

In the last few years, Pooh and the gang have also hit the big screen in “The Tigger Movie” and “Piglet’s Big Movie.” Pooh’s latest adventure is “Pooh’s Heffalump Movie,” which opens Friday.

In this traditionally 2-D animated film, the Hundred Acre Wood denizens set out to catch the dreaded Heffalump, a creature that lives in a mysterious place called Heffalump Hollow. Because little Roo is too young to join Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Rabbit and Piglet on their expedition, he decides to search for the Heffalump on his own. But when he encounters a young Heffalump named Lumpy, Roo discovers the creatures are nothing like their sinister reputations.

Jim Cummings supplies the voice of Pooh -- he took over in 1987 from the late veteran character actor Sterling Holloway, who originated the voice four decades ago; he also has inherited the role of Tigger from the legendary Paul Winchell.

And Carly Simon, who supplied soothing songs for “Piglet’s Big Movie,” returns with new tunes.

This isn’t the last we’ve seen of Lumpy. This fall, “Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween” will be released on video and DVD. That adds up to a lot of honey.

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-- Susan King