When I heard of a live action attempt of Winnie the Pooh, it intrigued me a little bit. Sitting through Christopher Robin today, it was not something I was expecting. It is surprisingly good despite the tone and the somberness.
It starts off with a farewell for the young Robin and all his friends as he prepares for boarding school. The film doesn't waste too much time getting to the adult version, but we do get to see certain pivotal moments of his life. One thing I'll give Disney credit for is not intervening with the very brief World War II scenes, especially when they have an explosion in it. Robin works at a luggage company and must deal with potential cuts and he has a weekend to figure things out and can't go to the childhood cottage with his wife and daughter.
As it gets to that, Pooh finds his way to London and Christopher Robin thinks it's all a dream when he meets his childhood friend. With that, it kicks off a big adventure that contends with the human trying to save his and other people's jobs, while dealing with his past, present, and potential future in the form of his family and friends. They don't sugar coat anything regarding the situations. Combined with the look of the Hundred Acre Woods and the somber color and lighting, it paints a good picture of what you would not expect out of this film. The special effects are surprisingly well done. Even though these are stuffed animals (at least I think), they come off very real and they don't get overboard or cute with using the effects.
It's very much in the vein of a drama, though it does have a few slapstick and comedy moments. Ewan McGregor plays a wide range of emotions and doesn't ham it up or act over the top as Christopher Robin. It comes off very authentic as someone who is stressed out and cracks a little bit. Hayley Atwell is great in her screen time as the wife, Evelyn. Like McGregor, her character is authentic and gives off some good tones and emotions The actress that plays the daughter is solid as well. Jim Cummings is still a good performer for Tigger and Pooh despite being 65 years old. The rest of the animals put off very good performances. Overall, it's acted quite well. Even some of the characters at Robin's job put up solid efforts.
If I have a minor complaint, it is a little slow in the middle part of it. The somberness is a little overboard at times, but it doesn't overwhelm the movie to the point of losing its purpose, which is about not forgetting your childhood and the simple things in life 30 years later. Other than that, it's a pretty good movie. If it's still playing in your local theater, try and see it. Sometimes, Disney can surprise you and Christopher Robin is a prime example of it. A little bit of Pooh isn't always a bad or scary thing.
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