Review of Christopher Robin (2018) by Doug N — 10 Aug 2018

The latest Disney live action film based on their animated properties brings audience back to the Hundred Acre Wood for a sentimental, and pleasant spin off the the Pooh franchise. This film really packs in a lot of nostalgia & references from previous Disney adaptions. The performances are exceptionally good from the cast , especially from Ewan McGregor as the titular character. I've grew up loving the Pooh films and characters as a kid, and they were marvelously brought to life here with loving respect for the characters personalities. My favorites are Pooh, Tigger, & Eeyore. It's a wonderful blend of whimsical fantasy and melancholy drama about family, friendship, rediscovering the joys of life.

This is a real delight for hardcore Pooh lovers. Although it starts a little slow, it gradually becomes quite funny that it will have both kids and adults laughing together. It's message of spending more time with family is a little preachy, but is managed in such a way that it ends up not being too sappy. I loved the film's mix of vintage style and the quaint look of the Hundred Acre Wood. The animation of Pooh and his friends is handled with great respect and devotion to these beloved characters. Most of them are designed to be stuffed animals with the exception of Rabbit, and Owl adding a perfect dynamic to the gang.

As a fan of the Pooh films, I appreciated the film was loaded with many references from past Disney adaptions to warm the biggest Pooh fans. It was extra special to sneak in some songs from the original Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh film including Up, Down, Touch the Ground, and The Wonderful thing about Tiggers. While the Heffalumps & Woozles might make those not as familiar with Pooh wonder at what exactly they are, but they are given an added layer meaning in this film.

The performances by the live actors are well done, particularly Ewan McGregor gives the most nuanced performance of the entire cast. The real standouts of course are the Hundred Acre Wood characters. They are voiced by an excellent cast who do the characters justice. I love that Jim Cummings returned to voice Pooh and Tigger, but I also thought that Eeyore voiced by Brad Garrett had some of the best exchanges with Christopher Robin. He adds a touch of sarcasm to the character than is portrayed in past adaptions from Disney.

Overall, its a very modestly made film in vain of Pete's Dragon back in 2016, compared to bigger blockbusters like the live action remake of The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast. There's plenty of nostalgia geared towards life long Pooh fans, that it could leave newcomers without any recollection of the Pooh franchise confused. It's mix of whimsical humor and melancholy drama is brilliantly handled with the upmost care and devotion to the beloved Hundred Acre Wood characters. The film is sentimental, but surprisingly entertaining film for kids and adults. It is one of the best films I've seen this year.