Christopher Robin (Movie Review)

 You can pretty much tell that the Christopher Robin movie relishes on the plot similar to that of “Toy Story”, “The Little Prince” and “Alice in Wonderland”. The story is about Christopher Robin’s transition from juvenile stage to adulthood and letting go of insignificant stuff like child playthings to acknowledge grown-up responsibilities. In “Toy Story 3”, Andy had to put away all his toys in the attic in preparation for him going to college. In “The Little Prince”, there was much debate about how adults perceive things and how they lose their creativity as they grow up.

 

Christopher Robin’s plot also revolves around Hundred Acre Wood akin to the rabbit hole, the forest and the Red Queen’s palace in Alice in Wonderland. The problem with movies like these is that it is open to one’s interpretation. Do they really exist or are they just a result of an imaginative mind? Putting these things aside, it is still a fairly decent family movie brimming with values and morals.

The movie started with a seemingly brief narrative showing some illustrations simultaneously presenting the chapter’s title then short scenes depicting events that happened in his life from losing his parents to meeting his wife and then having a child of his own. You could see how Christopher was forced to become an adult even at a young age. In addition, the incidents have also implicitly expressed why he’s not that good of a father when he read an industrial book instead of a bedtime story to his daughter.

What I find relatable is his being a workaholic to provide something to the table but sacrificing well-spent time for the family. The pressure is real and downright accurate. Sometimes people are too caught up with work and climbing the corporate ladder thinking that life centers on career and having a profession. What hit me hard was when Evelyn, his wife, uttered the words, “Life is happening right in front of you”, straight to his face ‘cause I am at this point where having a job is good but spending and bonding with the family is so much better. These scenes resonated well for me.

On the side, I love how they were able to render the endearing plushies both in their physical attributes and personality traits. The voice casting is superb but it has lackluster sound effects as some sections could have made more impact if only the production have placed proper background music.

Below are some lines that got stuck in my head and are pivotal in the whole film.

a.     Doing nothing leads to the very best of something 

      It is a good reminder to relax and unwind from the demands of life, to have time to refresh and recharge

b.    I suppose it is right where it needs to be

      We just have to trust the process, the grander scheme of things

c.     I always get to where I’m going by walking away from where I have been

Ironically, it doesn’t mean running away from problems but leaving things that are holding us back. It’s about taking a leap of faith and taking a step to move forward

d.    What day is it? It’s today : my favorite day

      Living at the moment, being in the present

e.     Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart

It really is the simple things that matter, such as hugs from your parents or sharing happy conversations with the family, or a pat on the back for a job well done

In my opinion, this is more of a film targeted to a more mature audience since it has a dark theme and feel to it. I would give this a 9 out of 10 rating. At the end of the day, it did not fail to make me laugh at some parts and it did put me in a rollercoaster of emotions because of the striking lines that would be etched in my heart.

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