The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking

I'll be the first to admit that this film is light-hearted and often silly. After all, the Pippi books are silly and light-hearted, so why shouldn't a movie version be? The character of Pippi is a great character study for kids: She is imaginative, creative, confident and above all, a good-willed and courteous child. Anyone who expects her and the stories she stars in to be methodical depictions of the serious side of life should re-examine his/her life and priorities. Maybe then the detractors will realize that life can be fun, at all ages.

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. :)

I've always liked Astrid Lindgrens children's books very very much, and watched the original Swedish TV-series of Pippi over and over again (with Dutch subtitles). I think the Swedish girl (Inger Nilsson) who played Pippi in the original version was WAY better then this annoying American teenager pretending to be all cute and 10 years old! True, the original series look rather out of date now (being filmed in the 1970's), but for me, that always added a kind of innocense and charm to it. And the horse and monkey were not supposed to talk! Why add such "It's a kiddy movie, so all animals are fluffy and can speak" nonsense to an already great story ?

The only possible justification I can think of for "improving" the Swedish series like this is that the original TV-series isn't available in the US. Maybe American kids like this new version, but I will surely NEVER watch this crap again! I still have some of the original episodes on tape, and my cousins still laugh every time they watch them (despite the lousy special effects and the subtitles)!

I give this terrible rip-off 1 star out of 5 (maybe kids who don't know the books or the Swedish version like it)

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.

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.