Christopher Robin Movie Review: Ewan McGregor Makes Friends With Winnie The Pooh in This Endearing Trip Down the Memory Lane
Christopher Robin is an emotional, enjoyable film that can be enjoyed by both adults and kids, more so for the former.
Even if you have read the books or not, Winnie The Pooh has been an integral part of our childhood. How many times have you seen the picture of the pudgy yellow bear and his friends Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, Owl, Rabbit on cups, bags, umbrellas and all? So like for the titular protagonist, Christopher Robin is an experience that helps us reconnect with the joys and innocence of our childhood. Just for that, I would recommend the film, directed by Marc Forster.
A young Christopher Robin is separated from Winnie the Pooh and his friends from Hundred Acre Wood, after his parents send him to boarding school. When he grows up, an adult Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) has done everything a man of his age living in the '40s in London would do - fall in love, marry, fight the World War II and then end up in a thankless job. In between, he spends very less time with his loving but disgruntled wife Evelyn (Hayley Atwell) and a disappointed daughter Madeline (Bronte Carmichael), while also making his childhood friends a faint, distant memory. So when, one fine day, Pooh seeks him out in London to search for his lost friends, this gives Christopher an opportunity to get back in touch with the joys of his childhood.
Disney has got the knack of making endearing live-action movies, and Christopher Robin is a fine addition to that list. However, unlike some of its previous movies, Christopher Robin is a film that would connect with the adults more than the kids. It is not that the kids will feel left out; after all which child won't endear to the idea of puppet-like animals whizzing around in the city. The third act, especially, is fast-paced when Christopher manages to find all of Winnie's friends in the wondrous Hundred Acre Wood and later, they make it to London to help him out of a tight spot at his work-place.
But it is the journey till there that will connect with you, if you, like Christopher Robin, feel that you have lost the bearings of growing up somewhere. The first two acts are deliberately slow-paced as our hero tries to balance everything in his life with less success, and more so, failing to enjoy life itself. The post WWII setting of London adds more pall to the gloom, and even Hundred Acre Wood is covered in a mystifying fog that's never explained.
When Winnie the Pooh enjoys the pleasure of holding a balloon in hand, like the hero, we forgot the fact that once even we enjoyed doing so. The friendship between Pooh and Robin has quite a few touching moments. As an adult, there is so much that we could relate to these scenes, even if you haven't read any of the Winnie the Pooh books.
But we do wish that the makers would have made things more emotional and touching, like the climax of Toy Story 3, to leave a better impact. Also, the conclusion feels a lot weaker than the rest of the movie, also predictable too.
Like any Disney movie, Christopher Robin scores high on the technical department. The cinematography by Matthias Koenigswieser captures the soft touches of a dewy meadow early on, before settling itself to the greyish flush of Robin's adult world. The recreation of the post-war London is marvellously done. The animation and VFX are top-notch and not overdone.
Talking of the actors, Ewan McGregor manages to deliver an empathetic turn as the well-meaning everyday man, who is going through a mid-life crisis. He is especially convincing when he rediscovers what it was to be among friends and when he shares a touching, intimate moment with Pooh. Hayley Atwell is fine, though we wish the character has something more to do. Bronte Carmichael is charming. Mark Gattis is entertaining as Robin's one-dimensional snotty boss.
Among the voice-cast, Jim Cummings is excellent voicing both the rumbling, innocent Pooh and the always-spirited Tigger. But it is the glum-faced donkey Eeyore (voiced by Brad Garrett) who manages to steal the show even with his depressing lines. He is the reason for many of the laughs in the film, even when he is perpetually downcast.
Near the end of the movie, Pooh asks Robin what day is it. To which, he replies 'Today'. Winnie replies that it is the best day ever. Somewhere, that line connected with me. So I am sure with many others who have lost themselves in the mechanics of adulthood. After all, doing nothing can sometimes lead to the best of things!
Yay!
- Ewan McGregor
- The voicecast
- The friendship between Pooh and Christopher
- The touching narrative
- The special effects and the setting
Nay!
- Some supporting characters weren't developed
- Children may find the first two acts slow
- The conclusion is weak
- Needed a more emotional pathos
Final Thoughts
Christopher Robin is an emotional, enjoyable film that can be enjoyed by both adults and kids, more so for the former. Whether you like Winnie the Poog, this is one trip down the memory lane that you won't mind driving.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 09, 2018 04:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).