Christopher Robin - This was a surprisingly somber, thought-provoking movie. I have a massive amount of nostalgia and love for Winnie the Pooh and his friends, so much so that it's very challenging for me to be objective when discussing new Pooh media. I have seen every short, read all the books, watched the entirety of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and seen every movie. Something about the setting just tickles me. That's where I'm coming from with my thoughts here.
This is not a kid's movie. I think children will get enjoyment out of it, but I would view it more as a lightweight Ikiru. It focuses on loss, the concept of lost childhood and regaining the "fun" of life. It shows Christopher Robin growing up, dealing with his father's death, fighting in World War II, and attempting to return to family life after missing the early days of his daughter's childhood. His attempts to connect with her totally fail, because his life experiences have changed him from the fun loving boy who battled heffalumps and rescued Pooh to a stressed adult who tries to take everyone else's problems on his shoulders. Really, they do a marvelous job of this: his cold boss demands he present the owner of the company they work for with 20% in overall cuts by the end of the weekend, and Robin desires to do so to - once again - rescue others. Instead of from the doorway of Rabbit's house, however, this time he wants to rescue his co-workers from the axe.
It's shown here that the Hundred Acre Wood changes and becomes darker and more sinister over time as Robin loses more and more of his childhood. This is the first of the Disney Pooh stories I have seen where Tigger is not my favorite character. Eeyore fits the tone of the movie like a glove this time, and Pooh is so crucial to bringing Robin back to the woods and continues his always-Zen like personality. The two of them, as well as the story of Robin, make this movie worth seeing.
The last fourth or so is more traditional Disney stuff, with the animals (in this case, just Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore) leaving the woods and joining forces with Christopher's daughter to track Robin down. It's the weakest part of the movie because it didn't really add anything, just zany kids stuff. I still dig this kind of thing even now, and it wasn't bad by any means - Tigger flipping out in the back of a cab after seeing his reflection in a mirror had me laughing out loud - but compared to the really introspective earlier parts, it was pretty standard.
I loved this movie. Probably the best Winnie-the-Pooh movie, and that's saying a lot. It has a lot to offer adults. The closest comparison I can give is Toy Story 3 - if that tickled your fancy, this will, too.
9/10
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