Year: 2018
Director: Marc Forster
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Jim Cummings, Hayley Atwell, Bronte Carmichael, Mark Gatiss, and Brad Garrett
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Jim Cummings, Hayley Atwell, Bronte Carmichael, Mark Gatiss, and Brad Garrett
Tagline: Sooner or later, your past catches up to you.
Synopsis: Winnie the Pooh helps a now-grown Christopher Robin set his priorities straight.
Synopsis: Winnie the Pooh helps a now-grown Christopher Robin set his priorities straight.
Review
After the non-stop action of Mission: Impossible - Fallout, the quiet, gentle pace of Christopher Robin was quite the change. I've actually seen it twice at this point. Upon the first viewing of Christopher Robin, I liked it. Upon the second viewing, I liked it a lot. Maybe it was because I was prepared for the slower pace and the (at times) bittersweet mood.
Winnie the Pooh has never been one of my favorite characters. He's likable enough. But I always found Eeyore, Rabbit, and Owl to be more amusing (and perhaps more relatable). So I'm very glad that the whole gang is back in this tale. Yes, it is mostly Pooh, but Piglet and Tigger also get their moments to shine. It's Eeyore, though, who steals the show. His self-deprecating, deadpan humor perfectly suits the tone of the film. I love Eeyore.
Of course this movie isn't about the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood. It's about Christopher Robin, who is all grown up. He is perhaps too grown up. Through a montage (told in a chapter style reminiscent of the books), we see highlights from Christopher Robin's life and see how he has come to his current state. Through that, we also meet his wife and daughter, both of whom are missing Christopher Robin as much as his old childhood friends.
The story that follows is very much what you'd expect. And that's OK. We know the path Christopher Robin will take, because it's the path we want him to take: first back to the Hundred Acre Woods, then to his happier self, and at last back to his family and a re-prioritized life. There's nothing new or unexpected in the journey, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable or charming as we tread familiar ground with familiar friends.
One thing I appreciated about the film, it never tries to explain things. Christopher Robin never questions Pooh's existence, just how he came to be in London. The only explanation for anything that happens is Pooh's comment regarding the tree passage that leads to the Hundred Acre Woods. He simply says it is where it is needed, which Christopher Robin promptly dismisses as silly. It is amusing that he should find that silly, while never questioning that such a tree portal exists in the first place. But that's part of the magical charm of these stories. They need no explanation. They just are. Just like Pooh Bear.
The film is rated PG. I've been puzzling over why. There is one short montage scene that shows Christopher Robin as a soldier in a very dangerous situation with explosions in the background. Or perhaps it is because the theme of finding your inner child again goes over the heads of actual children. There was certainly nothing offensive in the film. But its tone has a certain melancholy to it at times. You might say the film is more an Eeyore than a Tigger.
If you are looking for a sweet and gentle film to top off your summer, I recommend Christopher Robin. The story may not tread any new or surprising ground, but it's still a charming "expotition" [expedition] and adventure with lovable and funny friends. As the film ended, I had a smile on my face.
*** Spoiler Section ***
There's a quirky little mid-credits scene featuring the Winslow office workers on holiday at the beach. Also at the beach is a fellow singing and playing the piano. That fellow just so happens to be Richard Sherman, of the Sherman brothers. They wrote countless classic Disney songs, including "Winnie the Pooh" and "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers."
Winnie the Pooh has never been one of my favorite characters. He's likable enough. But I always found Eeyore, Rabbit, and Owl to be more amusing (and perhaps more relatable). So I'm very glad that the whole gang is back in this tale. Yes, it is mostly Pooh, but Piglet and Tigger also get their moments to shine. It's Eeyore, though, who steals the show. His self-deprecating, deadpan humor perfectly suits the tone of the film. I love Eeyore.
Of course this movie isn't about the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood. It's about Christopher Robin, who is all grown up. He is perhaps too grown up. Through a montage (told in a chapter style reminiscent of the books), we see highlights from Christopher Robin's life and see how he has come to his current state. Through that, we also meet his wife and daughter, both of whom are missing Christopher Robin as much as his old childhood friends.
The story that follows is very much what you'd expect. And that's OK. We know the path Christopher Robin will take, because it's the path we want him to take: first back to the Hundred Acre Woods, then to his happier self, and at last back to his family and a re-prioritized life. There's nothing new or unexpected in the journey, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable or charming as we tread familiar ground with familiar friends.
One thing I appreciated about the film, it never tries to explain things. Christopher Robin never questions Pooh's existence, just how he came to be in London. The only explanation for anything that happens is Pooh's comment regarding the tree passage that leads to the Hundred Acre Woods. He simply says it is where it is needed, which Christopher Robin promptly dismisses as silly. It is amusing that he should find that silly, while never questioning that such a tree portal exists in the first place. But that's part of the magical charm of these stories. They need no explanation. They just are. Just like Pooh Bear.
The film is rated PG. I've been puzzling over why. There is one short montage scene that shows Christopher Robin as a soldier in a very dangerous situation with explosions in the background. Or perhaps it is because the theme of finding your inner child again goes over the heads of actual children. There was certainly nothing offensive in the film. But its tone has a certain melancholy to it at times. You might say the film is more an Eeyore than a Tigger.
If you are looking for a sweet and gentle film to top off your summer, I recommend Christopher Robin. The story may not tread any new or surprising ground, but it's still a charming "expotition" [expedition] and adventure with lovable and funny friends. As the film ended, I had a smile on my face.
*** Spoiler Section ***
There's a quirky little mid-credits scene featuring the Winslow office workers on holiday at the beach. Also at the beach is a fellow singing and playing the piano. That fellow just so happens to be Richard Sherman, of the Sherman brothers. They wrote countless classic Disney songs, including "Winnie the Pooh" and "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers."
Quotable Quotes
- "I've cracked!" "I don't see any cracks. A few wrinkles, maybe." -- Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh
- "Doing nothing often leads to the very best kind of something." -- Winnie the Pooh
- "I suppose [the tree's opening is] where it needs to be." "That's a silly explanation." "Why, thank you." -- Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin
- "I don't remember being cheery." -- Eeyore
- "[singing] The most wonderful thing about tiggers is ... I'm the only one!" "He does that a lot." -- Tigger and Eeyore
- "Thanks for kidnapping me, Heffelump." -- Eeyore to Christopher Robin
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