The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking

I loved it when I was six to twelve! I don't understand how these people can go on and on about how the plot is stupid or the songs are awful. It's a movie for kids! They enjoy (I still love it!) and everyone I know who saw it as a child loved it!

I remember enjoying the Pipi Longstocking books in elementary school, and my 4-year-old loves this movie. As an adult, however, I find it painful to watch. It isn't that the movie is bad, at least not in the same sense that schlocky sci fi and horror movies are bad. The children do acceptable acting jobs, although the adult actors are lackluster. The sets, costumes, and special effects are adequate. The music is bouncy. There are lots of fun Pipi stunts and much childhood wish fulfillment. All good, clean fun. Somehow, though, the film is less than the sum of its parts.

I think it must be the plotting and pacing. The super-competent Pipi so outmatches her opponents -- a villainous real estate agent and an uncompassionate human services worker -- that you never feel any suspense or concern for her safety. In fact, Pipi comes across as such a smart-mouthed brat that I began to sympathize with her playmates' whiny father. The story itself meanders from incident to unrelated incident until the movie positively drags.

So, this is a movie that it is safe to let your kids watch unsupervised. That's a good thing, because you won't want to sit through it yourself, at least not more than once.

While I freely admit that this is not technically a great movie, I like it. I liked the music and Pippi's bravery. It's not meant to be watched critically, witha fine-tooth comb.

When I watch it, I feel ten years old again, and that's what it's all about. :)

It seems like I'm one of the few Americans who read translations of the Pippi Longstocking books, AND saw this movie as a kid. At this point, I can't remember what came first for me, the books or the movies, but I will say that as a child, I enjoyed both.

Pippi is a GREAT character in literature, I could consider her arguably one of the greatest female characters ever created.

She's strong, she's independent, she's fun, intelligent and gifted.

What girl WOULDN'T want to be like Pippi? I know that reading about her as a little girl, I was endlessly jealous of Tommy and Annika who got Pippi as a playmate. I wished she'd move next door to me.

This movie doesn't do such a great job of translating the Pippi character. She seems less creative and imaginative, and more crazy and dim. There's something about the character of Pippi that is lacking in the movie and the movie loses a lot because of that.

But Pippi aside, the movie isn't ALL bad. It's a late 80's kids movie with cheesy special effects, poor acting, and a silly story. But through all this, it is still enjoyable. The situations that Pippi and Tommy and Annika get in are still fun, and it's a good movie for young kids. If you do show this movie to your kids though, be sure to buy them the books afterwards and show them what Pippi is REALLY like. This movie is a good starting point to get kids introduced to the great character of Pippi.

After her father's ship is carried off by a sudden storm, the spunky Pippi Longstocking is stranded with her horse, Alfonso, and monkey, Mr. Nilsson, and takes up residence in the old family home, which is thought by neighborhood children to be haunted. Soon, two children, Tommy and Annika, venture into the house only to meet up with Pippi. The three soon become friends and get into various adventures together, including cleaning the floor with scrubbing shoes, dodging the "splunks", going down a river in barrels, and helping Pippi with the problem of having to go to a children's home. Older children will probably get the most out of this movie.