David Pierdomenico
As Disney works their way through remaking every single animated property they have, it was only a matter of time before such classic cartoons as Winnie the Pooh would get the treatment. And for the most part, fans have never seen this particular story ever attempted in a live action format. And while the film does have its clichés, it’s much better than most fans might expect it to be.
Winnie the Pooh as We’ve Never Seen Before
Unlike previous installments of the franchise, Christopher Robin is very much grounded in reality and large portions are set in the real world. The film opens with the titular character having a farewell party with Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, and Rabbit. They lament that he must leave for boarding school soon, and therefore will not be able to visit them anymore. He has a poignant goodbye with Pooh, before finally leaving and moving on with his life.
We then see glimpses of his transition to adulthood, revealing unexpected hardships, and going much deeper and intense than one would expect from a Winnie the Pooh film. He loses his father, fights in WWII (explosive battle scene and all), gets married and has a daughter. It’s now 30 years later and he’s a shell of his former childhood self. All Christopher cares for is work, and even encourages his daughter to focus on her studies rather than frivolous stories and games. However, his childhood has not forgotten him, as Pooh crosses over from the Hundred Acre Wood to London to enlist Christopher’s help to find his other friends and remind him of who he is.
If any of this sounds familiar, it’s because the film’s basic premise is rather reminiscent to 1991’s Hook. While their plots are similar, Christopher Robin is vastly different in tone. Hook utilized its star Robin Williams, and his over the top antics, as well as all the whimsy that Steve Spielberg brings when he directs. Even watching it now, it feels very much like a product of its time. Not all of it has aged well, but it captures the spirit of rekindling one’s inner child. Christopher Robin has overt comedy, but is rather more subtle and moving. It feels less like a Disney adaptation, and more in line with the original stories than the cartoons.
Part Horror Film?
There’s always a risk when taking traditionally animated cartoon characters and portraying them via CGI to interact with real people. However the truly odd decision was to have Pooh, and many others look less like real animals and more like stuffed animals come to life. While this is closer in line to the original A. A. Milne/E. H. Shepard books from the 1920’s, it can’t help but make them look strange, even downright creepy. What’s also odd is the seeming inconsistency. Pooh, Tigger, Kanga, Roo, Eeyore, and Piglet all look stuffed, while Rabbit and Owl look more like the regular animals themselves. So it’s easy to see what Disney was trying to do, but it doesn’t change how weird it comes off at time. But the voice performances do it justice. Pooh and Tigger should sound especially welcoming since they are both voiced by Jim Cummings, who has been voicing them in all media since 1988.
Aesthetics
However it’s easy to quickly get over the animation and be captivated by the film’s beautiful cinematography. The Hundred Acre Wood feels very much like a real place, and is shot will all the grandeur that Peter Jackson gave to the Shire. We also get to see all the bleak industrialization that was postwar London, adding to the film’s overall very British demeanor. Direct Marc Forster demonstrates his ability to create atmosphere, much like he did with Finding Neverland, back in 2004.
Despite its slightly derivative plot and odd effects choices, Christopher Robin is fun, and hits all the emotional marks it should. Over the last few years, the Disney live action remakes have been largely hit or miss. Beauty and the Beast was a lackluster, auto-tuned carbon copy, Maleficent altered the story to the point that it was unrecognizable, and Cinderella was largely forgettable. This film however, is unique enough from its source material to stand out, but doesn’t abandon everything the story was meant to be about. If more Disney films were like this, there wouldn’t be such apprehension about the myriad of remakes they have lined up.
