Christopher Robin (2018)

 Childhood will ultimately lead towards adulthood. There, as an adult, we discover the world in a different light, and meaning. However, there are times in our adulthood that we yearn for going back to our childhood, but unfortunately, we cannot. Luckily, there is the medium of film to occupy us with that theme of wanting and trying to go back to the past. And, a more recent example of this theme is 2018's “Christopher Robin” from Disney; a surprise hit that connects adulthood with that of childhood. While the film does suffer from a rather weak story, the rest of the production is quite the visual treat. Everything about this film just screams eye candy to both the young and the old. “Christopher Robin” may feel formulaic when it comes to its story, but is a good effort at bringing forth nostalgia the adults in the audience.

The plot has Christopher Robin, who imagined all of The Hundred Acre Wood and Winnie the Pooh, leaving his friends behind, and growing up into becoming a hard working husband and father (Ewan McGregor). His work is putting himself above everything else, and it's taking a toll on Christopher's mind. That is, until one day, by some extraordinary phenomenon, Pooh (voiced by Jim Cummings) comes into Christopher's life. Now that his childhood has coming back to him, Christopher must find a perfect balance between play and work.

“Christopher Robin” does have some good things going for itself.

For one thing, the cast does a fairly good job with what they are given, and the performances are actually quite good. McGregor is great as an adult Christopher Robin, and balances out both the comedy and drama perfectly. We also have Hayley Atwell and Bronte Carmichael playing the mother and daughter respectively. With Hayley, we have a supportive wife who might be on the edge to leaving her husband, and it's pretty convincing here. And with Bronte, we have a daughter who just wants to be appreciated by her father. As for the rest of the cast, they do good jobs in supporting roles, and sometimes offer up some well-needed comedy. This can be attributed to some pretty good direction from Marc Forster, who previously tackled the same subject of returning to childhood with 2004's “Finding Neverland”.

But let's not forget the voice actors that are here as well. With Jim Cummings as both Pooh and Tigger; you can't get more iconic than that. Plus, with Cummings here, he provides a great performance as Pooh, and he really shines in this movie. On top of that, we have great performances from Brad Garrett as Eeyore, and Nick Mohammed as Piglet. Among others, the voice talent is very exceptional, and really shines here.

The set design is fantastic. There are two major sets of concern. First, is the more realistic approach in the movie. And it's done magnificently. By recreating the late 1940s England, the production team managed to do an amazing job of bringing a different era of time into a more modern world. Plus, the costumes presented here are also a reflection on this, as well. The second major set as seen in the film, is The Hundred Acre Wood. With gorgeous cinematography and perfect lighting, what we are given here, is a marvelous look nature on the big screen. Plus, it is definitely a great environment for McGregor and the animated characters to interact with.

Speaking of which, the special effects team recreated Winnie the Pooh and his friends to extraordinary detail. By taking key inspiration from the stuffed toys from the past, the visual effects team did an amazing job at bringing these beloved characters to life. Through the use of both CGI and animatronics, the actors have great chemistry together whenever they are on screen.

As for everything else, it's great.

The editing is handled well, as it paces the movie at a perfect running time of an hour and 43 minutes, giving the audience enough time to absorb what's happening.

The music is also a plus. With the main orchestrations by Geoff Zanelli and Jon Brion, we have a soundtrack that provides itself with combinations of both woodwinds and strings to create a great score. Plus, there are little hints from the Sherman Brothers (Richard makes a small cameo in a mid-credits scene) that brings out the nostalgia in everyone.

However, the biggest problem is with the story itself. Written by Alex Ross Perry, Tom McCarthy and Allison Schroeder, the entire plot feels like a jumbled mess. .What this means is, the story is riddled with cliches, plot holes, and obvious scenes that are easy to predict. Plus, if you want a more serious interpretation of Winnie the Pooh, check out the 2017 film “Goodbye Christopher Robin”; it goes into more serious detail of author A. A. Milne and his work.

In conclusion, “Christopher Robin” does have its heart in the right place, by bringing out nostalgia for adults, but the writing could have been better.