You may recall (because I’ve mentioned it a time or two) that one of my fandoms is Disney. It covers pretty much anything Disney related – parks, movies, characters. Of course, I do have some favorite characters, Tinkerbell being the main one, as many of my friends know. But I’ve always had a thing for Winnie the Pooh and his gang as well, especially Eeyore. So there was no question that I would go to see Christopher Robin. 

First off, I do acknowledge the fact that a feel good family film is not my typical kind of movie. But, as noted above, Disney and Pooh! Now that that’s out of the way, I have to say that this is a fantastic movie for all ages. For those of us who grew up watching the classic Winnie the Pooh animated movies, the level of nostalgia is impressive, right from the start. The overall atmosphere of the film, the storytelling, the interaction of the characters just feels like classic Pooh.

The plot is a little more serious and introspective than I was expecting, but I think it worked very well. A grown Christopher Robin coming to the realization of how much he lost from his childhood and rediscovering the fun of life definitely required some tissues. But the story wasn’t so serious that it lost the attention of the younger members of the audience, as there was always a bit of comic relief on tap from one or more of the Hundred Acre gang.

The effects here are also impressive. The “real” Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, etc. interact seamlessly with the human characters and their surroundings. It keeps you completely immersed in the time and place of the story. And the voice acting is spot on, especially by Jim Cummings who has been the voice of Winnie the Pooh for 30 years. He has given this “bear of very little brains” new life and an emotional range that’s pleasantly surprising. Ultimately, this is a film everyone can enjoy on some level.