Movie Review: Christopher Robin

Hanging out with our favorite silly bear.

ChristopherRobin, Disney’s latest live action movie, is a movie that aims to remind adults that sometimes we need a silly bear to tell us what is really important in life. This movie is all about remembering to have fun and take the time to do nothing.

The movie starts out with a relatively depressing tone as we see Christopher Robin leave the Hundred Acre Woods and grow up. I found that this tone lasted a little longer than I would have liked. It took away some of the fun that I expected because even in the beginning it felt like the movie was about endings.

Pooh and friends were as cute as ever while giving out surprisingly good life advice. We even get to hear Tigger sing his song. Adding to the cuteness, we get to see them on an adventure in a brand-new environment: London. Just like the previews promised, Pooh and friends are all capable of walking and talking much to the incredulity of the people they pass.

Though this movie is based on a beloved children’s book, it is definitely aimed at adults. It is a perfectly appropriate movie to watch with even very young kids. However, the theme revolved around a reverse coming of age which is something kids might have trouble relating to. 

This movie goes in a very different direction from the recent live action movies Disney has released because it is a sequel, not a re-make. In some ways this is an advantage because Winnie the Pooh is traditionally aimed at very young kids. As a sequel, adults have a chance to revisit their childhood like Christopher Robin is. The problem is that this creates a movie that is not totally immersed in a fantasy world. We do not feel the same level of magic as we did in Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast. It is more about remembering a story rather than actually being a story.

I do recommend seeing Christopher Robin if you are looking for a feel-good story to watch with a family. Though I have listed some flaws, the movie did become more fun and kid oriented after Christopher Robin’s daughter meets Pooh and friends. If nothing else, it is a movie to take kids to that adults won’t feel the need to sleep through.

P.S. There is a short scene during the credits, so don’t leave the theater right away.