Capsule Summary (minimal spoilers):

Christopher Robin is a new live-action film from Disney. Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) left the 100-acre Wood decades ago, and is now an adult. Life has been a mixed bag, and things are going downhill. Its up to Winnie the Pooh and his friends to rescue him from the drudgery his life has become.

Since his departure, Christopher Robin’s gone through a bunch. his backstory is brought up to date in a way that’s delightful, clever, and occasionally sad, because of the  nature of what happens. There hasn’t been as good a quick retelling of a life lived since the movie Up, which sets a very high standard, indeed. It allows them to get to the heart of the story fast.

McGregor puts in a heartwarming performance as the titular character, as does Haley Atwell, as Evelyn, his wife. The story was captivating for both children and adults, so it was quite entertaining for all. I admit I found it bit smarmy, yet delightful. There’s enough of Pooh and his friends to keep it light. I couldn’t help but think how much better Hook would have been if they had used a similar approach.

I definitely recommend it. Christopher Robin is proof that Disney can still capture that old Disney magic, when they really put in the effort. There is a mid-credits song that’s worth watching, too.

Main Review (some spoilers):

There really isn’t too much left to talk about. The CGI of Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and all integrated fairly well into the live-action cast, though everything had a kind of washed-out look which made that simpler.

The voice acting was on-target, and resonated really well, and one choice, in particular, was rather spot-on, but because of who they used (I’ll leave it for you to figure out which). The aphorisms of the various animals really fit, because sometimes, simpler is best.

The film left me feeling nostalgic, but it really wasn’t anything forced or heavy-handed. I really do like this film, and I hope you do, too.