“Christopher Robin” is another triumph in Disney’s series of films that bring our favorite animated characters to life. Many generations have had the opportunity to grow up with Pooh which gives this film a nostalgic tone that reaches children, parents, and young grandparents alike! The plot of the story revolves around something to which every parent can relate: letting work and life get in the way of spending time with your family. The post-WWII setting enhances this theme as military men returned to a world where economies were shattered and jobs were scarce. Ewan McGregor embodies the pressure that fathers faced in providing for their families and Bronte Carmichael is the perfect precocious child that just needs her father to pay attention to her. I loved Mark Gattis as the weasely boss and the voice acting of the Pooh characters (including perennial Pooh/Tigger voice Jim Cummins and Brad Garrett as Eeyore). The character design of these classic characters and their integration into the real world was great but, oddly enough, I think that they were revealed too soon. By the time that Pooh meets Christopher Robin, we are already well acquainted with their appearance and their presence in the real world isn’t very surprising to us. I would have loved it if the opening sequence with Christopher Robin in the Hundred Acre Wood would have been told in a hand-drawn, storybook form (which would have perfectly connected the classic animation to their real world designs). Then, use the first 20 minutes of the film to build anticipation of seeing the characters until Pooh starts to search for his friends. It’s easy to criticize from the outside looking in, but this seems like an obvious way to give Pooh a “big reveal” instead of feeling like we’ve seen too much of him by the end of the film. That being said, the script does a great job of playing up the personality traits of each character and acknowledging the strangeness of a grown man carrying a stuffed bear through 1940’s England. The animation of the characters is so impressive that I was 10 minutes into the drive home before I said “Wait, those characters were animated and not actually interacting with the actors!” Disney has mastered the art of integrating CGI into live action. The story also has a great “Toy Story 3 effect” of reminding adults how special it was to be a child and creating a longing to return to that innocence. The writers even found a way to incorporate Richard Sherman playing and singing an original song into the film - that was truly heartwarming. The film also includes another original song by Sherman, as well as classics like "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers." There is so much nostalgia packed into this 100-minute film! “Christopher Robin” doesn’t contain the deepest story of Disney’s recent live-action releases but it will touch your heart as you laugh, cry, and remember how much you love Winnie the Pooh.
[Pictured: You'll get a little tear of happiness in your eye every time that Christopher utters "Silly old bear."]
