Christopher Robin

Somewhere a boy and his bear are befuddled. Unlike Milne's masterpieces, there are problems galore with this somewhat ill-conceived story. For one, it assumes a certain level of ignorance on the part of the audience; if you go into this film knowing that there was a real Christopher Robin--and especially if you've seen this movie prior to--you'll experience a certain amount dissonance. Within its own reality, this film treats the eponymous being as a fictional character--and he's not necessarily a sympathetic character, either. The other characterizations are consistent with the sources, but the context provides further problems. There's too much "real world" for the protagonists--human and plush--to overcome with sentimental charm. The intrusion of real world issues into the fantasy, and vice versa, leaves the viewer with more questions than satisfaction at the climax. Only children are likely to watch this show without feeling reservations about the outcome, and while that may have been the goal, it's not exactly a sign of a well-crafted work. Not to be too much of an Eeyore here, but this could have been a lot better.