Tropic Sprockets / Christopher Robin

Tropic Sprockets / Christopher Robin

By Ian Brockway

The beloved character Winnie-the-Pooh comes to the screen once more in this movie directed by Marc Foster (Neverland). It follows the adventures of an adult Christopher Robin in the manner of Alice in Wonderland or Pan in “Hook,” with solid performances by Ewan Mcgregor in the title role. Pooh is charmingly voiced by the legendary Jim Cummings.

Early in the story, Christopher Robin has said goodbye to his friends Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger and Roo. He is now mature and an associate of a company that produces luggage. In many ways he is a version of Peter Pan (Robin Williams) in the aforementioned Disney adventure “Hook” albeit considerably less emotive. He is the man in gray and business is king. Robin is pressed under a great somber weight with no time for his family vacation. He has a wife Evelyn (Haley Atwell) and a daughter Madeline (Bronte Carmichael).

During one battle with his paperwork, he finds himself with Pooh in the forest of his childhood. He can’t believe his eyes but it’s true. His childhood friend is here, a lovable unkempt bear based in real life on a stuffed “Alpha” bear purchased at Farnell Company in London.
Pooh is gentle and mild. He is not very bothered by life as long as he has honey. Robin spends much time fretting and worrying while Pooh tells him in his own even tempered way to sit and relax a bit.

Things get hairy in the manner of a chase film when Pooh leaves Robin alone, causing him to lose his papers. Misunderstanding Robin, Pooh goes into a panic thinking his friend will get eaten by a Woozle instead of being fired.

There are a few gags along the way. One features a cab driver who seeing a talking bear, crashes and causes a scene with a constable. The goings on become the stuff of formula but that is not to say it is boring, just predictable and only suited for young audiences.

The spark of the film comes from the quasi-Zen wisdom of Pooh himself: “I always get to where I’m going, by walking away from where I’ve been,” and “People say nothing is impossible but I do nothing every day.” Pooh is a quirky philosopher and the film highlights this well.
Overall “Christopher Robin” is conventional, staying well within the lines of a light comedy in its commentary against drab business and the status quo.

This is usual Disney fare where joy champions over grown-up angst and misery.
Still, the recognizable voice of Pooh playing against Robin as a now Kafkaesque straight man, makes this film entertaining and will surely satisfy younger audiences.

Write Ian at [email protected].

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