Disney’s live-action film based on A.A. Milne’s classic is far from a steaming pile of Pooh but sugary moments will make adults want to stick their head in a pot of honey.
The latest outing involving the button-eyed ‘silly old bear’ and his delightful Hundred Acre Wood pals has its heart in the right place but this time around it’s not Pooh who is ‘of very little brain’, it’s the script.
The drama of reconciliation follows unsurprising roads but there is sufficient sweetness in the 104-minute running time to make your little ones smile, and enough nostalgia offered to take adults on a bewitching trip.
Similar to Steven Spielberg’s 1991 outing Hook, Christopher Robin follows a leading character as they struggle to reclaim the exuberance and careless nature of their childhood.
The film imagines a grown-up Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) now the husband of Evelyn (Hayley Atwell) and the father of Madeline (Bronte Carmichael) as a strained businessman, who has long forgotten about his stuffed animals. As the gang reunite, he remembers the joys of his younger years and is reminded about what really matters in life.
When the film focuses on the innocence and naiveté of Pooh (excellently voiced by Disney veteran, Jim Cummings) and his fluffy friends, the movie jumps off the pages and is brought to life. Most of the screenplay’s predictability is found in Robin’s story.
Cinematographer Matthias Koenigsweiser makes each amiable character appear soft and credible and brings Piglet (Nick Mohammed), Eeyore (a wonderfully doleful Brad Garrett), Rabbit (Peter Capaldi), Owl (Toby Jones), Tigger (Jim Cummings), Kanga (Sophie Okonedo) and Roo (Sara Sheen) into the real world.
Pooh continues to pull at the heartstrings with his sweet-nature and sentimental words - "I always get to where I'm going by walking away from where I've been" - while director Marc Forster impeccably depicts the tone of Milne’s characters.
Christopher Robin never ascends to the level of splendor that Paddington 2 did, but when it comes to exuding charm and capturing magic, it bounces along just fine.
Laura Delaney
