In the days leading up to the release of Disney's Christopher Robin, there was a good bit of speculation about the studio's choice to set an incredibly late embargo (it officially lifted at 10 PM EST on the Thursday night before release). Most blockbuster movies want to spread the word if things are looking good, whether that's through Rotten Tomatoes scores or Twitter blurbs. The late Thursday night slot is usually reserved for the unfathomable cinematic travesties; in short, those are the movies usually annihilated by critics the next morning. A cute little movie about Winnie the Pooh couldn't possibly be that bad, right?
During my brief search for some kind of answer, someone proposed that Christopher Robin had a major twist up its sleeve, and it sounded just plausible enough for me to buy it. Maybe I'm just gullible, but part of my brain thought there would be a surprise in store over the course of the Marc Forster-directed film. Alas, the finale doesn't reveal that Ewan McGregor's Christopher Robin has been dead the whole time. Put in a more blunt fashion, the whole twist idea could not be further from the case. This is quite possibly the most straight-forward film of the summer, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It's slight and thin, but this trip to the Hundred Acre Wood is enormously appealing in its own low-key way.
The film follows its title character on a journey of self-discovery, beginning with his childhood departure from the Hundred Acre Wood (young Christopher is played by Orton O'Brien). Christoper promises Pooh (voiced by Jim Cummings) that he will never forget about him, even as he leaves for boarding school. Through the opening credits, we're treated to a montage of Christopher Robin's life after his coming-of-age moment. He's forced to deal with the death of his father, he meets and marries Evelyn (Hayley Atwell), and he leaves London to fight in World War II. As some have noted, yes, there is a very brief war scene in the otherwise incredibly kid-friendly Pooh movie.
Our story really begins with a middle-aged Christopher, who is now a workaholic at a luggage company. While the family man promised he would take Evelyn and his daughter Madeline (Bronte Carmichael) away to the countryside for the weekend, Robin's lazy boss (Mark Gatiss) is in need of his services. Much to the dismay of his family, Christopher Robin remains in London, hoping to make cuts to his company's payroll without sacrificing too many jobs. And that's where Pooh comes in. The silly old bear appears in London, and he's in need of some assistance. Pooh can't find his friends- Eeyore (Brad Garrett), Piglet (Nick Mohammed), Tigger (also voiced by Cummings), Kanga (Sophie Okenedo), and more are all missing- and he wants Christopher to help search for them.
The rest plays out much like you'd expect, with Christopher Robin eventually realizing the importance of family and the joys of childhood. At face value, the whole affair is somewhat weak, dabbling in various themes without ever exploring these ideas in any great detail. There are traces of a powerful story about forcing children to grow up too quickly, but Forster and the screenwriters (Alex Ross Perry, Tom McCarthy, and Allison Schroeder are credited with the script, and story credits belong to Greg Booker and Mark Steven Johnson) gloss over these ideas in favor of familiar mechanics and simple resolutions. All's well that ends well, and Christopher Robin is almost entirely devoid of conflict and drama. If it feels somewhat disappointing in the face of a meatier story, it's not necessarily working against the film. I don't think anyone wants the Pooh Bear movie to be a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.
Once Christopher Robin does away with much complexity and fully commits to its inherent sweetness, I was more than willing to go along for the ride. This is an irresistibly charming and pleasant film, one that is content to keep the stakes low in favor of amusing character work and an agreeable atmosphere. In days since my screening, my mind has drifted to the flaws of the endeavor, highlighted by the lack of profound impact and the scattered narrative. But each time a flaw pops into my head, I instantly recall one of the dozens of amusing, endearing moments hidden inside this familiar set-up. Christopher Robin's pleasures may be simple, but they're still pleasures, after all.
The film's allure rests in its central cast of animated characters. Sure, the human faces of Christopher Robin are very good, and the film features a trio of solid performances from McGregor, Atwell, and Carmichael. But those friendly faces of the Hundred Acre Wood are the reason to buy a ticket. It's so wonderful to be reunited with Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Piglet, and so many more, and the film provides a never-ending stream of smiles and chuckles. Most of all, it's good to see Winnie the Pooh back on the big screen. As voiced by Cummings, Pooh is more delightful than ever, rattling off cute one-liners and lighting up the screen with ease. And while I was originally skeptical about designing the characters as stuffed animals, it actually proves to be quite the ingenious choice.
There's something funny about a movie that spends all of its emotional currency in the very first scene, but I don't think Forster is really trying to make anyone break down into tears. Christopher Robin serves as a warm and gentle reminder of how sweet these characters can be, and it brings them back to the big screen in an efficient way. It's no Paddington 2, but then again, what is?
THE FINAL GRADE: B (7/10)
Images: Disney/IMDb
During my brief search for some kind of answer, someone proposed that Christopher Robin had a major twist up its sleeve, and it sounded just plausible enough for me to buy it. Maybe I'm just gullible, but part of my brain thought there would be a surprise in store over the course of the Marc Forster-directed film. Alas, the finale doesn't reveal that Ewan McGregor's Christopher Robin has been dead the whole time. Put in a more blunt fashion, the whole twist idea could not be further from the case. This is quite possibly the most straight-forward film of the summer, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It's slight and thin, but this trip to the Hundred Acre Wood is enormously appealing in its own low-key way.
The film follows its title character on a journey of self-discovery, beginning with his childhood departure from the Hundred Acre Wood (young Christopher is played by Orton O'Brien). Christoper promises Pooh (voiced by Jim Cummings) that he will never forget about him, even as he leaves for boarding school. Through the opening credits, we're treated to a montage of Christopher Robin's life after his coming-of-age moment. He's forced to deal with the death of his father, he meets and marries Evelyn (Hayley Atwell), and he leaves London to fight in World War II. As some have noted, yes, there is a very brief war scene in the otherwise incredibly kid-friendly Pooh movie.
The rest plays out much like you'd expect, with Christopher Robin eventually realizing the importance of family and the joys of childhood. At face value, the whole affair is somewhat weak, dabbling in various themes without ever exploring these ideas in any great detail. There are traces of a powerful story about forcing children to grow up too quickly, but Forster and the screenwriters (Alex Ross Perry, Tom McCarthy, and Allison Schroeder are credited with the script, and story credits belong to Greg Booker and Mark Steven Johnson) gloss over these ideas in favor of familiar mechanics and simple resolutions. All's well that ends well, and Christopher Robin is almost entirely devoid of conflict and drama. If it feels somewhat disappointing in the face of a meatier story, it's not necessarily working against the film. I don't think anyone wants the Pooh Bear movie to be a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.
Once Christopher Robin does away with much complexity and fully commits to its inherent sweetness, I was more than willing to go along for the ride. This is an irresistibly charming and pleasant film, one that is content to keep the stakes low in favor of amusing character work and an agreeable atmosphere. In days since my screening, my mind has drifted to the flaws of the endeavor, highlighted by the lack of profound impact and the scattered narrative. But each time a flaw pops into my head, I instantly recall one of the dozens of amusing, endearing moments hidden inside this familiar set-up. Christopher Robin's pleasures may be simple, but they're still pleasures, after all.
The film's allure rests in its central cast of animated characters. Sure, the human faces of Christopher Robin are very good, and the film features a trio of solid performances from McGregor, Atwell, and Carmichael. But those friendly faces of the Hundred Acre Wood are the reason to buy a ticket. It's so wonderful to be reunited with Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Piglet, and so many more, and the film provides a never-ending stream of smiles and chuckles. Most of all, it's good to see Winnie the Pooh back on the big screen. As voiced by Cummings, Pooh is more delightful than ever, rattling off cute one-liners and lighting up the screen with ease. And while I was originally skeptical about designing the characters as stuffed animals, it actually proves to be quite the ingenious choice.
There's something funny about a movie that spends all of its emotional currency in the very first scene, but I don't think Forster is really trying to make anyone break down into tears. Christopher Robin serves as a warm and gentle reminder of how sweet these characters can be, and it brings them back to the big screen in an efficient way. It's no Paddington 2, but then again, what is?
THE FINAL GRADE: B (7/10)
Images: Disney/IMDb
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