Brief thoughts on Christopher Robin.

Oh, stuff and fluff. Even Winnie the Pooh has gotten his own live action reimagining in the latest family offering from Disney. As one of Disney's more timeless icons, the cartoons based on A.A. Milne's classic story books (who got his own film with Domhnall Gleeson's similarly named biopic), Pooh bear has always been the definition of innocence. I find it hard for anyone to be able to hate Pooh, even if they hate Mickey Mouse. So, I was always somewhat hopeful that this new offering would be able to capture the affectionate nostalgia that made his animations so endearing. But Christopher Robin half succeeds. In doing nothing, something wonderful does come along, but it's when it actually does *something* that it gets nothing.

Christopher Robin already has a bit of a challenge before it comes out the gate, as it does feel almost redundant coming so soon off the heels of Paddington, and that the leading innocent bears would so often bring up comparisons. However, both series can easily co-exist with each other, Paddington being an affectionate immigrant's tale exploring the colorful faces of London, and Winnie the Pooh being a sweet story in which our toys embody all of our deepest psychological traits. So it's a bit of a disappointment that it doesn't take full advantage of that.

There is some good in the film, as said before when it isn't trying far too hard. The scenes of Christopher - superbly played by Ewan McGregor - rediscovering his childlike imagination do yield some very fond responses, especially seeing it through the eyes of his daughter (Bronte Carmichael), who looks set to travel down the same self-serious and distant road he traveled. But then along comes Pooh and friends to reignite his magical eye, and offer him a chance to revisit the Hundred Acre Wood. It's unsurprising that the toys should steal the show, especially thanks to the innocence of Pooh, brought back to life by the ever warm and adorable voice of Jim Cummings, supplying plenty of humor and heart to the film. Many of the other toys, including and especially Eeyore (a hilariously gloomy Brad Garrett), get their fine opportunity to shine, given a makeover and realized by some stellar computer animation, and are such a joy to be around. They're the least eventful moments of the film, but so enchanting in their simplicity and unassuming pace.

But like Pooh's favorite saying, "The most spectacular somethings come from doing nothing", so too does the film when it tries to get into heavier facets of the plot. In the real world, we're conformed to the most banal, rehashed narrative of a man rediscovering his childhood possible. Playing in some areas like an inferior Hook, in which CR is finding his time between work (working under the typical pompous British boss) and his time at home with his family (his wife Evelyn played by Hayley Atwell), this is where the film finds itself at its utmost uninspired, spinning its wheels on well-trodden territory as CR finds his time devoted to cutting costs at his company (yes, that really is the big conflict of this movie), while learning to enjoy the world in the way his daughter does, and that he once did. It puzzles me how a movie can both say a lot with a little, and yet feel so silent when projecting so loudly.

All in all, the movie is a pleasant diversion, but also in one ear and out the other. The idea has merit, but it just isn't realized, and I hope that Mary Poppins Returns, which looks to be attempting similar ideas, manages to succeed where this tried to. But no matter what, I can never hate Pooh. Silly old bear...


**1/2 / *****