Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart” just one of the many wise quotes from everyone’s favourite bear-of-little-brain, Winnie the Pooh. His latest film, CHRISTOPHER ROBIN, does just that: Fill your heart.
What HOOK did for young-at-heart grown ups in 1991, CHRISTOPHER ROBIN is doing for adults of 2018. The flick offers a nostalgic and fantastical cinematic outing that is aimed just as much at older generations as it is for young. Rejoice: There’s no need to mumble your movie choice to the ticket box staff in fear of judgmental bystanders.
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN utilises expert exposition – or “expotition” according to Piglet – beautifully summarsing Christopher Robin’s progression (or recession?) from magical childhood to humdrum adulthood in ten glorious minutes. Thus we are left with Mr Robin (Ewan McGregor), all grown up and quite forgetful of his enchanted childhood friends. It is only when Pooh arrives unexpectedly in London that some of the magic in Mr Robin’s life is rekindled.
It’s a sweet, albeit predictable, tale with lovely nods to the A.A Milne books; heffalump traps, footprint circles, balloons, “getting stuck” and more. The film is well balanced between the original ‘Milne Pooh’ and the iconic ‘Disney Pooh’, with enough from both to please all breeds of Winnie-lovers.
Director Marc Forster and Cinematographer Matthias Koenigsweiser deliver splendid visuals, bringing E.H Shepard’s illustrations to life with pretty landscapes, convincing animation and lovely use of light.
Admittedly, the film hobbles slightly over the finish line. The all-too-easy resolution tips the scales to make CHRISTOPHER ROBIN feel more like a kid’s film then the clever and exciting first two acts promise. However, despite this, I still couldn’t help but utter an “oh bother” when the credits rolled, as I would have very much enjoyed a “smackeral” more.
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN is a heart-warming nostalgic trip back to The Hundred Acre Wood, tapping in to the buried desires of many adults who wish for nothing more than to be able to return to the effortless imaginative magic of their younger years. Despite the predictable end, the film is beautifully executed and left me wanting more: As Pooh himself would say, I would have liked a “little larger small helping”. I rate it 8 stars.
