Christopher Robin

Christopher Robin – Long ago, Christopher Robin cherished his childhood friends Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, Kang, Roo, Owl and Rabbit but had to leave them behind when he was sent off to boarding school. As he grew older, Christopher got married, went to war, had a child and concentrated on providing for his family to the extent of valuing his work above all else. When Pooh suddenly turns up in his neighbourhood, Christopher is forced to look at his life and decide what’s really important.

Christopher Robin (2018) – Director: Marc Forster

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57504875

Rating: PG

Running Length: 104 mins

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Jim Cummings

Genre: Drama

REVIEW: ‘CHRISTOPHER ROBIN’

Winnie the Pooh, A. A Milne’s well-loved bear, has seen countless versions and now we are treated to a story told from Christopher Robin’s perspective. Seeing him go from a playful, imaginative child to a worn out, serious adult due to the pressures of the ‘real’ world, makes him a rather tragic character but with the help of his old friends, there is hope for him to change his ways.

In the hands of a less engaging actor, Christopher Robin could easily be bland and uninteresting but Ewan McGregor injects the warmth and gravitas needed for the ‘straight man’ to counter Pooh’s child-like innocence. While at face value, ‘Christopher Robin’ appears to be a similar movie to ‘Paddington’ with its blended live-action and animation, it is very far removed, being more of a drama than comedy which could be off-putting for a lot of kids. Indeed, the whole first act of the movie is concerned with Robin’s journey into adulthood and his work and family life stress so there is little light relief for children for the first 30 – 40 minutes.

Once we get to Hundred Acre Wood and its inhabitants (Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, et all) whilst they are all very sweet and charming, it is a shame that individually they aren’t more charismatic so as to be more appealing to kids; instead they are subdued and at times, a little boring. It’s only really Eeyore who stands out with some great comedy lines deriving from his dour attitude.

‘Christopher Robin’ is not the laugh-a-minute, exciting kids’ movie audiences may be expecting but it is a sweet, slow burning drama about the end of childhood and the importance of prioritising what’s important in adulthood with good-natured comedy and endless warmth.

CONTENT: IS ‘CHRISTOPHER ROBIN’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

The movie starts with Pooh, et al have a leaving party for Christopher Robin. Eeyore reads a poem which is a bit sad. Before he leaves, Christopher talks to Pooh who worries that he will be forgotten but is reassured that this won’t happen.

Christopher is sent to boarding school and is seen in class doodling drawings of his woodland friends. His teacher slams a cane down on his desk, forcing him to put his drawings away and carrying on with his school work.

There is a brief scene showing an adult Christopher at war. Nothing graphic is shown, just him in front of rubble as an explosion happens off-screen.

Much of the dialogue is quite melancholic, Pooh asks Christopher ‘Did you let me go?’ (in the context of firing an employee) to which Christopher replied ‘I suppose I did’. Pooh makes a mistake and Christopher becomes very angry with him, lamenting the bear’s return to his life. He tells him ‘you really are a bear of little brain!’.

The inhabitants of Hundred Acre Wood are afraid of Heffalumps and Woozles, creatures which are apparently dangerous but are not actually seen. When Christopher finds himself alone in the Wood, he hears a scary noise which sounds like an angry elephant getting louder and louder. He runs away, trying to convince himself that these creatures don’t exist until he falls into a deep hole and is unable to pull himself out.

Due to being absent and a seemingly unloving husband, Christopher’s wife tells him that she and their daughter will stay at the holiday cottage for ‘longer’, implying that she wishes to temporarily separate from him.

Christopher’s daughter, Maddie, meets Pooh and several of his friends and takes off alone with them to find her father. She leaves a note for her mother but it is discovered too late to stop her. Maddie takes a train and moves through London while her mother desperately tries to find her. Other than a few exciting moments, nothing bad happens to Maddie and she is found safe and well, however this may encourage children to leave their home alone, thinking they will be safe.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘CHRISTOPHER ROBIN’ FOR KIDS?

A subdued drama that has been somewhat mistakenly targeted towards kids, ‘Christopher Robin’ is an enjoyable but slow burning movie for more mature members of the audience. In terms of content, ‘Christopher Robin’ is appropriate for all ages but we recommend it for kids aged 7 and over.

• Violence: 0/5
• Emotional Distress: 1/5 (a few emotional moments but nothing too strong)
• Fear Factor: 1/5 (Christopher is knocked unconscious and dreams of being underwater with Pooh talking to him. A large elephant appears behind him and grabs him in its trunk, pulling him towards its mouth but he soon wakes up and is unharmed)
• Sexual Content: 0/5
• Bad Language: 0/5
• Dialogue: 1/5 (Eeyore is constantly depressed and talks about death and accepting the inevitable but this is very mild)
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of friendship, family, prioritising what’s important, childhood, understanding the needs of others, the pressures of adulthood and cherishing the differences in others.

Words by Laura Record

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