“Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2” might be the most insane success story ever. After the critical flop (yet financial success) of 2023’s “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey,” director Rhys Frake-Waterfield returns to continue the story of Christopher Robin (Scott Chambers) after the bloodbath at the Hundred Acre Wood that took place previously. Pooh, Owl, Piglet and Tigger set out to commit mass murder in Christopher’s town, killing everyone in sight, leaving Christopher to save the town from the horror that is Winnie-the-Pooh.
Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain in 2022, allowing Jagged Edge Productions to use the character however they pleased. But, as stated in a Matthew Patrick YouTube video, they had to skirt around trademark laws by putting hyphens in “Winnie-the-Pooh.” This marks step one for the company’s cinematic universe of public domain IP horror entitled “Poohniverse.”
The first “Blood and Honey” film turned out to be one of the worst horror films and obvious cash grabs ever, earning itself a critic’s score of 3% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film offered no story, horrendous costumes that made the animal characters look like people in masks and a bloated runtime. The filmmakers clearly wanted to make a quick buck from a recent character entering the public domain. “Blood and Honey 2” takes a 180 and feels significantly more passion-filled, earning 52% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, a reasonable score for a cheesy horror film.
Winnie-the-Pooh and friends look like anthropomorphized creatures of terror now compared to the horrendous masks utilized in the last film. They have real fur in the movie and sharp teeth that look like they could easily tear through the flesh of anyone in their path. The creatures also speak this time around, and they even get a few classic lines from their source material that’ll have crowds laughing their heads off.
Speaking of laughter, the script stands out as incredibly witty, both in dialogue and storytelling. The narrative plays out as a mystery involving a mad scientist and ends with a satisfying conclusion that allows audiences to understand Christopher Robin on a deeper level. The film also writes off the previous entry in an effective, clever and meta way. In terms of smart dialogue, the best example is when a police officer investigates the monsters’ home and tells his buddies “Let’s bounce,” to which Tigger promptly replies by saying “That’s my line” before slaughtering them. Moments like these in which the movie leans into the concept’s campiness make it significantly more enjoyable for audiences, alongside gory practical and digital effects that showcase where the earnings from the last film were put.
“Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2” sounds silly, and it is, but in a fun way. It stands as a symbol of what the previous film should have been. The team behind it put significantly more heart and care into this film, and it shows. Audiences seeing this film will have an enjoyable experience and walk away excited for the next installment in Jagged Edge Productions’ “Poohniverse.”
