Movie Review – ‘Christopher Robin’
Disney’s new take on the iconic Winnie-the-Pooh is here. Oh bother.
Christopher Robin is not the same little boy who used to always visit the Hundred Acre Wood. He is now a family man who works hard trying to provide for his household. Having nearly forgotten all about his childhood friends, Christopher Robin one day receives a surprise visit Winnie-the-Pooh himself. Together, the two embark on a journey to find Tigger, Eeyore, Owl, Piglet, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo.
Though Christopher Robin may have grown up, Winnie-the-Pooh and the rest of the gang are still the same old lovable characters that everyone knows and love. They may have new and updated designs, but the spirit and personalities of these iconic characters remain the same. Christopher Robin just has a nostalgic feel to it. Maybe this is due to Jim Cummings returning to voice both Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger. Or perhaps it is the inclusion of classic songs like “Up, Down and Touch the Ground” and “The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers.” Either way, Christopher Robin feels like delightful way to introduce these characters to a new generation.
Jim Cummings is excellent as both Tigger and Winnie-the-Pooh. Although I personally miss Tom Kenny doing the voice of Rabbit, Brad Garrett, Nick Mohammed, Peter Capaldi, Sophie Okonedo, Sara Sheen, and Toby Jones also do a swell job of voicing Eeyore, Rabbit, Kango, Roo, and Owl, respectively. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Ewan McGregor and Hayley Atwell as well. The two are just outstanding actors and they do a fine job leading this film. Though Winnie-the-Pooh is inherently supposed to be a property for children, the presence of McGregor and Atwell aided in giving Christopher Robin a more mature tone.
Seeing as a how Winnie-the-Pooh has traditionally been animated in 2D, I’m surprised – and beyond ecstatic – to see that Disney did not opt to make this movie a blend of live-action with 3D animation. It would have been quite easy for Disney to make a movie that appealed strictly to children. Something akin to The Smurfs or the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog film. Thankfully, Disney decided to make a film that appeals to all members of the family, and made the fictional characters appear photorealistic.
Aesthetically, Christopher Robin is a very nice looking film. The cinematography is as you would expect – considering that Christopher Robin is a period piece – but I will admit that Matthias Koenigswieser did manage to get some incredible shots into the movie. I guess I just didn’t expect to see beautiful landscape shots in a Winnie-the-Pooh film. Even more impressive is the CGI used to bring Pooh and the gang to life. The graphics are incredibly realistic and lifelike. I used to be unimpressed with Disney’s take on visual effects – see Alice in Wonderland and Maleficent – but ever since The Jungle Book, Disney’s VFX have been breathtaking. Along with the de-aging technology that they have been perfecting, Disney’s live-action department has some of the best visual effects in the industry.
Seeing as how this is a Disney film, it goes without saying that Christopher Robin has a warm and heartfelt message. It is touching, even if a bit predictable. In fact, a lot about Christopher Robin is predictable. The story isn’t surprising, the script is simple, and the character arcs can be seen from miles away, but this is Winnie-the-Pooh we’re talking about. His character is innately simple, and that simplicity is what makes him so charming. The lovable bear, along with all of his friends, help Christopher Robin rediscover the joy of life. They teach him how to live in the present moment, how to be there for his family, and how to not stress out over work so much. It may be a sappy message, but who would want to see Winnie-the-Pooh without a little sugar (or honey) coating.
It’s interesting to see that we’ve had two “Christopher Robin” centric film’s so close to each other. Last year’s Goodbye Christopher Robin was also a nice and simple period piece with a touching message. But where Goodbye Christopher Robin tried to offer insight into the real Christopher Robin Milne and how he helped create Winnie-the-Pooh, this new film tries to give a layer of complexity to the fictional character by exploring his personality as an adult. Though the premise of each of these movies were interesting, I personally felt as though neither film could get any deeper than the surface level intrigue.
Marc Forster did a fine job directing Christopher Robin. The comparisons were inevitable, but Christopher Robin is a much better film than something like Hook. That may be blasphemous to some, but Christopher Robin is a sweet and nostalgic movie that never got into cheesy or campy territory. The movie may not be franchise material, but I would love to see these character return to the big screen. The box office numbers may not look so promising, but it’s fun seeing classic characters like Pooh, Tigger, and Piglet brought back to life. So though Christopher Robin may be a decent film with an underwhelming take at the box office, these characters are timeless enough to withstand the fate of just one movie.
