Christopher Robin

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Bronte Carmichael, Mark Gatiss, Oliver Ford Davies, Jim Cummings (voice), Brad Garrett (voice), Nick Mohammed (voice), Peter Capaldi (voice), Sophie Okonedo (voice), Toby Jones (voice)
Directed by: Marc Forster
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Drama
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A grown-up Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) is shocked when he encounters Winnie the Pooh for the first time in decades.

Review:

Tim: Christopher Robin is an interesting spin on Winnie the Pooh. There's been a bunch of movies centered around these characters (most of which I haven't seen). I really liked the idea of looking at Christopher Robin not as the boy we know from the stories, but much later in his life. Now, this approach isn't original (see Hook), but it hasn't been done so often that it felt completely played out. There was still a hint of uniqueness in this approach to the material. I thought the film did well to give us something just a bit different to what we might expect. Disney certainly has extensive experience with these kind of movies and they assembled strong enough talent to make this movie worthwhile. This might not be a great film, but it's a successful one.

I do wish Disney would have played it less safe with this film. I understand the Disney brand and the desire to make people happy, but this movie feels overly safe, overly predictable. It's exactly what you'd expect from this kind of film. That is a weakness, but it is also a strength. It felt like the movie had no desire for greatness- it was firmly comfortable settling into that expected, solidly entertaining area. The benefit to this is that the movie is appropriate for viewers of all ages. I actually let my 3 year-old son watch quite a bit of the movie (I know), and he had a fun time watching it. This is yet another very family-friendly Disney movie. The downside to this approach is the movie is a bit generic and it's forgettable. There's not enough here to truly differentiate it. At some point in the future, if I'm thinking about family-friendly movies to watch, I highly doubt this would come out anywhere near the top of my list. It's a good movie, certainly. I'm happy I watched it. But, it's not good enough to demand repeat viewings.

I really liked Ewan McGregor in the lead role. It feels like in so many of this movies, the human characters feel over-the-top and border on ridiculous. See Peter Rabbit for a perfect example of how legitimately strong actors can look absurd when acting opposite animated characters. McGregor deserves immense credit because he never allows this to happen. He sells his performance admirably. It's one of the best aspects of this film. Sure, his character and his character's arc is predictable and boring, but he gives an especially strong performance, which makes such a difference. It felt believable, which allowed you to believe in Pooh and the others. I loved seeing Hayley Atwell here, but I was disappointed that she was just in the "wife" role. It's forgettable and never scratches the surface of what she can do. Her talent was wasted in this role. Bronte Carmichael does a good job as well. Mark Gatiss strays into that buffoonish, over-the-top territory, but has a few solid moments as well.

The best part of the film is probably the message. It's been done dozens of times before, but I enjoyed the focus on family, on how we need time away from it all. I liked how busyness isn't always the answer and that sometimes doing nothing can be the best thing to do. I wish the script didn't hammer these messages so hard. It's all a bit on-the-nose. There needed to be slightly more nuance to the story.

While the film has some flaws, it's still entertaining to see an adult Christopher Robin rediscover his childhood. The animation of Pooh, Eeyore, and the other characters is impressive. The visuals stayed true to who these characters are and their animation roots, but created a look that felt believable in this live action world. At first it feels a little strange to see these characters in this setting, but you quickly get used to it and appreciate the effort into making them feel a part of the real world.

Christophe Robin is ultimately a bit too safe and predictable, but Marc Forster does a good job telling a fun story with some good messages. This is squarely a Disney movie through and through, but the film works much more than it doesn't. This is a movie that viewers of any age can enjoy.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Goodbye Christopher Robin