The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Growing up means leaving parts of you behind. Those parts can be that stuffed giraffe you dragged around everywhere, the Sponge Bob posters in your room, or even your favourite cartoon character. Christopher Robin truly brings back one of our most loved cartoon characters. 

An all grown up Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) is sucked into the busy adult corporate life and, with his family drifting away from him, he gets a surprise visit by his not-so-imaginary childhood friend, Winnie the Pooh. Pooh  needs Robin’s help in finding his friends back in Hundred Acre Wood. As Robin Delves back into this childish world, he evaluates what is truly important in life and ponder over the real meaning of happiness.

You think this is a children’s film? Not at all.

The film deals with themes that are more suited towards an adult audience; getting sucked into the corporate world, losing your inner child, and the importance of finding happiness in the busy and laborious corners of life.

The animation of the characters of Hundred Acre Wood is another reason why this film does not really belong in the kids’ film category; the characters are not as brightly coloured and lively animated as most films these days and even their demeanor relies more on their elaborate and very witty dialogue, which will not be the most attractive for kids.  Because of the way they are animated, the characters have a darkness about them that is not as off-putting for an adult as it would be for a child.

Another reason this film is not actually a kids’ movie, is its focus on Christopher Robin and his view of life rather than Pooh and the characters of Hundred Acre Wood. Indeed, the main appeal for the audience is seeing their favorite childhood characters, and recovering some lost childhood innocence, which are both distant themes for children.

As for the acting, Ewan McGregor was able to portray and transition between both sides of his character: the serious adult and the silly child. His childish performance could have been improved with funnier facial expressions and body language. Playing Christopher Robin’s daughter Madelyn (Bronte Charmichael), also gave a noteworthy performance specifically in the second half of the film.

Don’t take your children to this film, not just because they will probably bother other movie goers, but also because this film will be much more appreciated by a reminiscing adult trying to recapture lost pieces of their childhood, and taking care of a crying toddler will definitely ruin that experience.