Review of Christopher Robin (2018) by Hector V — 22 Aug 2018

The latest live-action reimagining of a Disney cartoon, Christopher Robin, will likely divide many based on their devotion to A.A. Milne's source material. The film could be interpreted as a cynical betrayal of Milne's messages on growing up or a whimsical return to the wonders of childhood. Ironically, it's probably least meant for kids. Whether you belong to either or, Christopher Robin stands as a solid film just a few finer artistic touches away from being really special.

It's almost certain that the most polarizing thing about Christopher Robin for all will be its pervasive sense of melancholy. The film is colored like a war drama with its washed-out visuals and gloomy atmosphere-it could easily pass for a horror film, at times. For a story trying to call back to the carefree glories of childhood, the film often feels dour and depressingly, cartoonishly adult.

This matter is manifested most painfully through Ewan McGregor's performance as an older, grizzled Christopher Robin. The poor man is sent away from his home to a boarding school, loses his father shortly after, gets drafted into the trenches of World War II, and finally left to sustaining the driest job imaginable as an efficiency manager at a luggage company-all depressingly rendered as the introductory sequence for the first fifteen minutes.

If this all sounds too off-putting, allow me to break the critical third wall, and clarify: I really liked Christopher Robin. Presenting Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and the bunch as worn out stuffed animals was an inspired choice, and Jim Cummings comes to the rescue every second his voice is onscreen as Pooh. There's plenty of humor, wisdom, and tearjerking lines perfectly dispensed by Cummings as Pooh, as well as upbeat joy in his voicework as Tigger. Everyone, including Eeyore, Piglet, and the rest of the gang, are written as best as they could be.

Along with absolutely gorgeous visuals in London and especially in the rural Hundred Acre Wood, the touches of darkness director Marc Forster provides pull through for an incredibly beautiful piece of film. A lovely little score drawing from the Disney vault really ties the ribbon around the film's fantastic aesthetics. I'm not ashamed I was constantly in tears if not outright ugly crying during every passing minute.

As for the bleakness of the film, I was pretty onboard with it, though it does get a little much. McGregor is perfect as Christopher Robin, but the script forces him to remain gravely unhappy until the halfway mark. The film doesn't feel like it gets started for a long time as a result; it's very, very obvious it was written by three-to-five people. The screenplay just goes through the motions before it finds itself; that being said, it picks up substantially in its second half and becomes a much, much better film. If it had just been more thematically somber and unified with central vision or thought, it really could have been perfect.

Christopher Robin is a good, almost great film with touches of phenomenal craftsmanship. While its mileage will vary from person to person, there's little doubt its emotional journey will warm many hearts.