Christopher Robin

I've always had a low key soft spot for Winnie the Pooh.

I'm not gonna say that it was my favorite Disney movie or story as a kid, but more that it was one of the Disney classics that reminds me of younger childhood and I hold a lot of nostalgia for it. So when this trailer came out, I'm pretty sure I was in tears due to the overwhelming nostalgia and reminder of my childhood. On top of that, I'm a huge Ewan McGregor fan and I actually think a creative idea like this is more the direction Disney should go with its live action adaptations rather than shot for shot remakes like I'm pretty sure the new Lion King is going to be.

I didn't get to the theaters to see it, but when it showed up on Netflix, I knew it was only a matter of time before I checked out this continuation of a beloved children's tale from my childhood.

Christopher Robin follows up on the story of the titular character (played by Ewan McGregor). Christopher Robin has come a long way from the boy who would play with the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Woods. He has fought in World War 2, he has a job that takes him away from his wife and child (played by Hayley Atwell and Bronte Carmichael respectively), and he is just stressed.

And right when he needs it, a familiar silly old bear shows up at his doorstep.

The rest of the movie is Christopher interacting with Winnie the Pooh (voiced by Jim Cummings) and finding his way back to the hundred acre woods to realize the importance of the imagination, being a child, and taking a break from work and being with those you love.

The familiar cast of characters from Piglet (voiced by Nick Muhammed), Eeyore (voiced by Brad Garrett) Tigger (voiced by Jim Cummings), Rabbit (voiced by Peter Capaldi), Owl (voiced by Toby Jones) and Kanga and Roo (voiced by Sophie Okonedo and Sara Sheen respectively), all return to help Christopher Robin on this adventure and it is pure nostalgia sap.

I guess one criticism of the movie you could have is that there isn't a whole lot of substance. It's filled with a lot of moments that'll make you go Awwww, and you may tear up if you're the sentimental type, but the truth is, this movie is a lot of cotton candy and not a whole lot of filling to it.

Is it meant to be a ground breaking epic tale? No. It's Winnie the Pooh. Winnie the Pooh was always about simple themes and messages and I kind of appreciated that the movie wasn't trying to be anything more than it needed to be. The movie barely runs 90 minutes so it clips along pretty well. Just don't expect this to be a Disney magnum opus. It's cute, it's to the point, and honestly I liked the ability to throw some modern whimsy into these classic tales years later.

I think the thing I appreciated about this movie was how simple it was a yet how invested everyone seemed to be in it. Everyone from Ewan McGregor, Hayley Attwell, to all the great classic and new voice actors for the inhabitants of the hundred acre woods do a perfectly serviceable job.

I think Christopher Robin is just a fun feel good movie that is available on Netflix. If I had to go back I'm still not sure if I would go see this one in theaters, but I am glad that I had the opportunity to see it on Netflix. If you have Netflix, check it out. It'll make you feel good. It's simple, it's not that long, and it'll probably put a smile on your face, especially if you've got a soft spot for Winnie the Pooh like I do.

But those are my thoughts on Christopher Robin. What did you think? Comment and Discuss below! You can also send me your thoughts on Twitter @MovieSymposium as well as send me your requests for films I should review in the future. If you follow me on Twitter, you can get updates on future movie news and reviews coming out of this blog.

Thanks for reading!