Christopher Robin

***Simple, cute and sweet*** Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) is in his 40s, married with a daughter, and working the joyless grind in London when his pal Winnie-the-Pooh unexpectedly shows up. He takes the stuffed animal back to his childhood haunts in Hundred Acre Wood to find Pooh’s other stuffed animal friends. Hayley Atwell and Bronte Carmichael play Christopher’s wife and daughter. Released in 2018, "Christopher Robin" is a decent live-action rendering of A.A. Milne’s popular characters with the twist that Christopher is an adult rediscovering his childhood friends and the simple joys thereof. The theme of escaping the work grind and getting your inspiration back recalls “Joe Versus the Volcano” (1990), “City Slickers” (1991) and probably a gazillion other flicks. The stuffed animal critters are ultra-cute, the story is simple and the English cinematography is exquisite. I would’ve preferred a more gripping story, but I think the creators kept it simple on purpose. The film runs 1 hour, 44 minutes and was shot entirely in England (London, Berkshire, Kent & East Sussex). GRADE: B-/C+