Not to be confused with last year’s Goodbye Christopher Robin is director Marc Foster’s latest, Christopher Robin. This is one of those films with a what if premise that doesn’t really add anything to fond memories of the original characters created by author A.A. Milne in his beloved Winnie the Pooh adventures.
What it does offer, however, is further proof that the powers that be at Disney Studios will readily prostitute any of their properties as long as there is a buck to be made. If anyone needed concrete evidence of the blurring of the lines between art and commerce one need look no further than here.
Ewan McGregor is, I suppose, as good a choice as any as the star of Christopher Robin, assuming the title role as the adult version of that character. He’s clearly not the problem here. Rather it’s the bland and by the numbers material with which he’s forced to work.
The plot of the film is a take on what might have become of ole Chris if we were privy to his adult years. Here he’s portrayed as overworked and neglectful of his wife, inundated with the general malaise and overwhelming problems facing most adults on a daily basis.
Well, at least he’s not a burned out drunk or substance abuse or worse. Come to think of it, that might have made him more interesting.
Eventually all of the Hundred Acre Wood characters show up in digital recreations that are hard to dislike but very likely to sell more merchandise. They, of course, show their former boyhood chum the way back, so to speak.
The digitized characters aren’t the problem. The kids are likely to roar with delight at the sight of them. The adults, on the other hand, are likely to have a different experience. Once the novelty of the Pooh characters wears off and the duller aspects kick in, the more experienced viewers will likely check out.
This movie is playing in Hickory and all around the area.
IMAGE: Pooh with the adult Christopher Robin, Ewan McGregor
Questions or comments? Write Adam at [email protected].
