Christopher Robin is Disney’s newest live-action reboot of a classic. This time it’s time for Winnie the Pooh to return to the big screen in a story that’s a lot more mature than ever before. Let’s find out if it’s worth watching!
Disclaimer: this review will be divided into two segments, the first part is written by a fan of the classic cartoons while the second part offers you a look at how it is to watch the movie as a newcomer.
Ayla Brulez (Pooh fan)
When I first saw the trailer for this movie I was immediately transported back to the 90’s, sitting in front of my TV with my little brother waiting for Winnie The Pooh to come on. We were fans. We had cute little statues of both Pooh Bear and a gloomy Eeyore in his makeshift house (I think Eeyore might actually still be gathering dust somewhere at my parents’ house!). We consumed everything Pooh there was back then. And in that instant of watching the trailer, I came to the strange realization that something that was such an integral part of my childhood was half-lost half-forgotten, but it all came back to me quickly.
Winnie the… Who?
This is also pretty much what an adult Christopher Robin goes through when he’s suddenly confronted with Pooh. He hasn’t completely forgotten about him and Hundred Acre Woods, but he was so consumed by his work at a struggling luggage factory and his increasingly tense family life that his past adventures had been out of his mind for a very long time. Slowly, we see a very conscientious workaholic become more open to new experiences and adventures by being reunited with Pooh against his will.
This is the main theme of the movie for its more mature audience: do not squander your life on work and remember how to play and enjoy the people (or bears or Tiggers) you love. Family is more important than work. So apart from the nostalgia trip there’s a very gooey center of love, friendship and embracing your past. Oh, and there’s also a lot of plushie slapstick.
The Furry Posse
The child-like dynamic between all of the characters that live in Hundred Acre Woods is adorable. Pooh himself is just extremely loveable, although he’s still as clumsy and carefree as he ever was. Almost every dialogue between him and Christopher is downright endearing. This is definitely helped tremendously by Jim Cummings, who’s been tenderly crafting Pooh’s voice since 1988 and had no problem transitioning to a more serious tone in this somewhat grown-up version of Pooh.
On another note: I adored the character design. The toys were a perfect in-between of the animated version and the original toys the real Christopher Robin owned. They look old and worse for wear without being off-putting. Just some very well-balanced, believable and organic design going on there.
Conclusion
Overall I really liked this movie although it’s an obvious “Member Movie” that preys on our late-twenty-somethings nostalgia. I do however feel there were some moments where the movie had issues. They tried to balance seriousness and happy-go-lucky kids stuff, which is okay in itself but made some scenes feel a little bit off. Somewhere in the second half, the way Christopher Robin suddenly changed perspective felt way too abrupt. And the ending was – although really feel-good stuff – a bit of a hodgepodge of silliness. I would have loved to see a version of the script that was completely adult in tone.
7,5/10
Lander Van der Biest (Reviewer with a brain of little Winnie the Pooh).
When I first saw the return of Winnie the Pooh to the big screen, I really didn’t care that much. Sure, the live-action return looked fun and the way Disney reinvented those adorable plushies is genius but I never was a big fan of Winnie the Pooh. Being in my late twenties, I’ve seen cartoons featuring the honey-loving yellow bear but it never kept my attention that long. Going to see the new version wasn’t something that was high on my watchlist but when the credits rolled out, I was happy I saw it. It’s a feel-good movie with an extra layer and I adored most of it.
A more mature Christopher Robin
Like Ayla already pointed out, we follow a more mature Christopher Robin in this movie. I think his character is the most interesting one in the movie since I could relate to him the most. I really like how they approached this adult thing. In the first seconds of the movie, you’ll see Christopher’s life transforming from that of a young boy full of imagination towards an adult who struggled with losses and forgot how to imagine the impossible. It’s a harsh opening but it really sets the tone for the movie. Being Christopher Robin isn’t easy. He always aims for the best and is a pure workaholic. Combining this with his young daughter and gorgeous wife isn’t easy and somewhere along the way, he forgot what it was to be alive. Enter Winnie the Pooh.
Pooh leaves his precious forest to search for Christopher Robin once more. Pooh’s little friends are gone missing and he needs the help of Christopher Robin to get them back. The first reunion between Pooh and the adult Christopher Robin is one of my favorite parts of the movie. It’s amazing to see how the two interact with each other after all those years. Pooh is still that silly old bear with a constant hunger while Christopher Robin fears he just lost his mind. This interaction resulted in a lot of great moments and I couldn’t help but notice that I was constantly laughing with how silly Pooh really is. This bear has got some amazing one-liners!
The second act
If the movie could keep this theme until the end, I couldn’t have been happier. Too bad things change rather drastically. I won’t spoil the story for you but the way Christopher Robin changes to a more child-friendly adult again happens a bit too soon in my opinion. I would have loved seeing him struggle with himself just a bit more but this still is a Disney movie and that happy ending was fast approaching.
Therefore I don’t really know what to think of the movie. I adore it for its silliness, great actors and amazing reimaginations of classic characters but I don’t like how the story evolved on the other hand. This might be because I’m not that big of a Winnie the Pooh fan but I was hoping for more struggles and less honey-coated dialogues and happy endings. That being said, I still had a lot of fun watching it but it’s clearly aimed at a wider audience.
Conclusion:
I really liked this movie a lot more than the classic cartoons. It has an extra layer and the way Christopher Robin struggles with how to be an adult is mesmerizing to see. Winnie and his friends are all gorgeously created and all offer an interesting take on the story. I’m sure you’ll be laughing a lot while watching this! Too bad the ending isn’t as good as I hoped for and the tone of the movie shifted a bit too soon. It’s a movie for everybody and I’m sure a lot of viewers will enjoy it from start to finish!
