Hitting all the heartwarming Disney buttons, Christopher Robin rediscovers his inner child, and you may too. Being an adult isn’t always fun, but Pooh and the rest of the gang from the Hundred Acre Wood bring back those sweet old warm fuzzy feelings of friendship when they reconnect with their big best friend played by the fully engaged Ewan MacGregor.
But the most fascinating roles in this beautifully conceived film are the live action animated characters. Visual effects supervisor Chris Lawrence (Gravity) , and animation Supervisor Michael Eames (Avengers: Age of Ultroin, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) teamed up to create the uncannily realistic appearances and movements of these classic characters created by author A. A. Milne.
Director Marc Forster had MacGregor talk to a stuffed bear just like the one you see in the movie, but also brought in young drama students to act with him in scenes. MacGregor had something or someone to talk to instead of to a pole or other object and it does make their interaction both human and realistic. The five writers who collaborated on the story and the dialogue make the relationship seem very natural. It doesn’t seem contrived in any way, which is remarkable for a movie whose premise is talking to stuffed toy animals.
You’ll recognize Pooh’s voice right away. Jim Cummings has been doing it since 1988. But he also ended up voicing the bouncing Tigger. Actor Chris O’Dowd voiced him first, but audiences tested didn’t go for Tigger with a British accent, so they had Cummings do his voice, too.
Piglet is voiced by Nick Mohammed, Owl by Toby Jones, Rabbit by Peter Capaldi, Kanga by Sophie Okonedo and Roo by Sarah Sheen. But the most fun one to us, besides Pooh, was the voice of Eyore. Brad Garrett gives just the right deadpan tone to his character.
In research we found actual articles analyzing what psychological conditions the characters that be a window into their personalities. They say Tigger and Roo could have ADHD, Owl could be dyslexic, Pooh has a honey of an eating disorder and Eyore has classic depression. Doctors might have prescribed prozac. No bother, each is charming in their own way.
The film opens with printed pages from the Winnie the Pooh books you may remember reading as a kid, but they morph into living color scenes of post World War I London. The overhead shot looking down on umbrellas in the rain gives an immediate sense of the setting. We get backstory of Robin as a young boy and his toy friends who are so real and comforting to him until he’s sent off to Boarding school. As in any Disney movie, one of the parents dies. Robin’s Dad passed away while he was at school and it left a mark. Ironically Christopher Robin has a daughter, Madeline (Bronte Carmichael) he’s considering sending away, too.
Robin is manager at Winslow Luggage. He’s having problems with his work/life balance. Don’t we all? He works so hard, he’s neglecting his own family. When his loving daughter asks him to read to her before bed, she takes out “Treasure Island,” while he takes out a History of Economics. Not exactly on the same wavelength.
Pressed about spending more time together, he promises to take his wife Evelyn (Hayley Atwell – Avengers: Age of Ultron, TV’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Madeline to Sussex for a weekend, to the country house that is filled with his childhood memories. But Robin disappoints them again. Atwell is particularly good in the role showing the gamut of emotions trying to support her husband and daughter. The scenes in Sussex were shot near where Winnie the Pooh author A. A. Milne actually had his original estate.
But Robin’s boss is putting on pressure, too. He wants Robin to cut the budget, even if it means firing fellow employees. He’s been ordered to spend the weekend working even though he had promised Evelyn and Madeline family time.
Pooh magically appears back in Christopher Robin’s life. He and the rest of his crew help Robin realize what he’s been missing and bring back the child and the fun memories of his childhood that had been suppressed. He reconnects with all of his old buddies and rediscovers himself in the process.
Director Marc Forster shoots Robin, Pooh, and the crew against the most picturesque landscapes. The wide shots of them in the country are breathtaking and bring home how happy Robin was playing with his toys in the Hundred Acre Wood as a boy. The scene is particularly playful showing Robin squeezing through the opening in the tree he used to simply walk through as a boy.
Family is the overwhelming theme. Robin has two: Pooh and his playmates, and Evelyn and Madeline. They both teach Robin what’s important with the well crafted interaction the central character, Christopher Robin, has with both. Of course there has to be an arc. Robin gets himself into trouble, but Pooh and his family save the day.
You’ll hear some of the old songs written but the award winning team of Robert and Richard Sherman for the original Winnie the Pooh series. Robert has passed on, but Richard was brought in to write 3 new songs for this film. And stay for the credits to see him perform a fun production number on the beach as the credits roll by.
The film is a bit of a heart tugger, and you may shed a tear. But this is a charming story that is right in line with these Disney characters. Friends and family count, especially in a Disney film. And it’s truly amazing when you can see these beloved, inanimate toys brought to life.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures 1 hour 44 minutes PG Reviewed August 2, 2018
