Disney's Christopher Robin is clearly hoping to capture the magic of the Paddington franchise with its latest adventure: a smaller-scale, London-set story based on the characters and imagination of A. A. Milne's Winnie-The-Pooh. Arriving less than a year after Fox Searchlight's Goodbye Christopher Robin, Marc Foster's all-ages picture hopes to bring the entire family together for a heart-warming tale about family and childhood: is it worth the trip into The Hundred Acre Woods, or is it simply a bit Pooh?
With a grown Christopher Robin (the son of Winnie's creator, Milne) too busy to remember the furry friends he left behind in The Hundred Acre Woods, the pressure of work has also caused him to become withdrawn from family life. When Winnie-the-Pooh finds himself in London, separated from his friends and in need of Robin's help to find them, Christopher is returned to the place of his childhood and the memories associated with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and friends come flooding back to him. Starring Ewan McGregor in the titular role alongside Hayley Atwell, Bronte Carmichael and Mark Gatiss, with voice performances from Jim Cummings, Brad Garrett, Nick Mohammed, Peter Capaldi, Sophie Okonedo and Toby Jones, Christopher Robin's fluffy tale combines live-action with animation to bring these characters into our world.
Furnished with every Disney hallmark imaginable, Christopher Robin is a rote retelling but not without delight. Radiating warmth and affability, it's difficult not to be swept along with the film's inspiring messages of the importance of family and appreciating loved ones - those of blood and those adopted along the way. It's one of those harmless, well-meaning releases that will find its way to the heart of many; it leans heavily on nostalgia for older audiences but the younger ones amongst us will find its charm difficult to resist. It is an extremely pleasant, agreeable experience - but unlike Pooh's favourite sweet treat, it doesn't stick too well.
It's never anything more than a decidedly fine film. I find myself struggling to recall anything particularly memorable a mere handful of hours after the credits rolled and will no doubt find it slipping even further from my mind as the days go by. Even without comparisons to the vastly superior Paddington, Christopher Robin lacks a spark that would elevate it to higher ground; its gentleness could easily be mistaken for a slightness that renders this a disposable, unimportant addition to Disney's catalogue that will neither be remembered nor revisited in a hurry.
An over-honeyed screenplay is perhaps most to blame for how forgettable the film is. Alex Ross Perry and Allison Schroeder's script is certainly no disaster but a little threadbare and unfulfilling: while the film isn't without some dramatic heft, the overwhelming sentimentality prevents much developing in the way of depth. It is surprisingly flimsy and insignificant in the grand scheme, rather plain and unsubtle in its limited theme work. A tonal clash makes this unbalanced piece seem a little disjointed too, in need or something tighter to bring it all together. Pooh and Eeyore are responsible for some of the funniest one-liners, but the humour otherwise feels muted, unable to capitalise on the comedy that would enhance it for audiences across the board.
Marc Foster's does a sturdy job of interweaving the animation into the real world through his direction, with Pooh and friends well-realised and particularly adorable. With some fine cinematography from Matthias Koenigswieser, the natural beauty of The Hundred Acre Woods is showcased in all its glory and home to some truly beautiful moments, with the hand-painted storybook animation a lovely homage to the character's roots; as with 2017's Goodbye Christopher Robin, it doesn't quite utilise this as often as you would hope but that's a testament to how impressive it is in the first place. Even in its visuals and direction, Christopher Robin is a tender experience - although, again, potentially too modest to make its impact more greatly felt.
Ewan McGregor's (and Disney's) interpretation of Christopher Robin certainly shines on the sunnier side of Milne's son and muse: his nobility is distinguished early on and even as the film explores flaws in his character, it continually seeks to justify his ineffectiveness as a father - solved with an illogical conclusion that emphasises how threadbare the story is at times. McGregor's relishes the opportunity to play Robin, even as the character undergoes a lean and forced character arc used only to further the message of family. Ever-wonderful but consistently underused, Hayley Atwell charms but deserves more to work with.
Lending their voices to the iconic characters, all - particularly Cummings, who possesses a long-established history as and with Pooh - enliven the characters to endearing effect, although part of me wishes the furry counterparts on display were limited to the main quartet in order to help a stronger bold and dynamic with each. Somehow more cartoonish than stuffed teddies, the supporting players in Christopher Robin are like a cast of caricatures, repeatedly playing it silly and hammy. They do this in order to play strongly to the younger audience, making it up to the older audiences with the accentuation on nostalgia hoping to tide them over instead: it does work but not as smoothly as hoped.
Christopher Robin is exactly the film you expect it to be, although you may find yourself wishing for more. Its sentimentality rarely turns into sincerity and while perfectly pleasant in and of the moment, it lacks the sophistication and sense of magic afforded to superior family-friendly efforts, as well as Disney's extensive film collection. It is distinctly low-key and intermittently charming but struggles to make full use of the adorably-stuffed and their human counterparts, landing on a formulaic and decidedly Disney-fied story with a screenplay too sugary to find additional depth. Christopher Robin is sweet but slight and sits in the shadow of the more endearing bear it tries to emulate: Paddington.
Summary: Christopher Robin is a heartwarming but disappointingly forgettable tale of family and childhood and while it fails to stick like Pooh's honey, it sure is sweet enough to feed the soul for the short time you'll remember it.
Lending their voices to the iconic characters, all - particularly Cummings, who possesses a long-established history as and with Pooh - enliven the characters to endearing effect, although part of me wishes the furry counterparts on display were limited to the main quartet in order to help a stronger bold and dynamic with each. Somehow more cartoonish than stuffed teddies, the supporting players in Christopher Robin are like a cast of caricatures, repeatedly playing it silly and hammy. They do this in order to play strongly to the younger audience, making it up to the older audiences with the accentuation on nostalgia hoping to tide them over instead: it does work but not as smoothly as hoped.
Christopher Robin is exactly the film you expect it to be, although you may find yourself wishing for more. Its sentimentality rarely turns into sincerity and while perfectly pleasant in and of the moment, it lacks the sophistication and sense of magic afforded to superior family-friendly efforts, as well as Disney's extensive film collection. It is distinctly low-key and intermittently charming but struggles to make full use of the adorably-stuffed and their human counterparts, landing on a formulaic and decidedly Disney-fied story with a screenplay too sugary to find additional depth. Christopher Robin is sweet but slight and sits in the shadow of the more endearing bear it tries to emulate: Paddington.
★★★★★✬☆☆☆☆
(5.5/10)
Summary: Christopher Robin is a heartwarming but disappointingly forgettable tale of family and childhood and while it fails to stick like Pooh's honey, it sure is sweet enough to feed the soul for the short time you'll remember it.