"Christopher Robin" - SPOILER ALERT

⭐⭐⭐½💖

Happy National Winnie the Pooh Day and Happy 140th Birthday, A.A. Milne!

In honor of A.A. Milne, the creator of Winnie the Pooh, I watched "Christopher Robin". I saw it when it was first released in 2018, so this was my second time seeing it. I feel the same way about it today as I did back in 2018.

The movie begins on a somber note. Christopher Robin is getting ready to leave for boarding school, and therefore leave his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. They throw him a farewell party, but everyone is sad. However, Christopher assures Pooh that he will never forget him.

Christopher's life experiences in London cause him to mature quickly and move on. He marries Evelyn (played by none other than Hayley Atwell who played Agent Carter in "Captain America") and they have a daughter. The company Christopher works for falls on hard times and his demanding job forces him to neglect his family. He feels that it is best his daughter is sent to boarding school, though she does not leave just yet. Evelyn and their daughter spend the last weekend of summer in a cottage, but due to work demands, Christopher is unable to join them.

The next day, back in the Hundred Acre Wood, Pooh is unable to find his friends. He goes through the door where Christopher used to emerge and ends up in London. Pooh and Christopher are reunited. Christopher takes Pooh back to his home in London, where chaos erupts. The next day, Christopher Robin takes Pooh back to the Hundred Acre Wood. Pooh and Christopher are at odds with each other, as Christopher insists he's a grown man now, no longer a child.

Christopher eventually meets up with Pooh's friends, but they do not believe it is him at first. He eventually convinces him and everyone is happy. They reunite with Pooh and Christopher makes amends with his bear buddy.

The next day, Christopher rushes off to London to make an important presentation he had been working on. He happens to see his daughter and wife at the cottage, which he had been trying to avoid while in the Hundred Acre Wood. Unfortunately, he tells them he cannot stay and he leaves. They are not happy.

In the rush, he leaves some important paperwork behind in the Hundred Acre Wood. Pooh and friends discover this and they set out to return the papers to Christopher in London. Thankfully, they run into Madeline, Christopher's daughter, who at first is scared of these talking animals. She soon realizes they are the ones in Christopher's drawings and that they are not evil. 

Together, Pooh and friends, with Madeline, set off to London. Madeline leaves a note behind for her mother. When her mother sees the note, she sets off to London to find Madeline. Evelyn meets up with Christopher in London and pulls him out of his important meeting where he had discovered he doesn't have the necessary paperwork, only twigs, etc. from the Hundred Acre Wood. They set off to find Madeline. Christopher is confident she is with Pooh, but Evelyn insists Pooh and friends are not real...until they crash into the windshield of the car she is driving and they meet face to face for the first time.

Together, the entire gang heads back to Christopher's office, with the necessary paperwork. When they arrive, Madeline trips, spilling the papers everywhere. Christopher assures her it's okay, that she is the most important person to her, and that she does not have to go to boarding school if she does not want to.

While sitting on the steps, not knowing what to do, Christopher comes up with a brilliant plan for his company that involves taking time off and sometimes "doing nothing". He rushes back into the office, presents his plan, and saves the company...and his family.

I almost gave this movie only two stars, but the last 40 minutes or so saved kicked it up a notch. A lot happens in the movie, but not until later. While the beginning was slow and somber, the second half is filled with heart-warming moments, life lessons, action, and humor. I understand the beginning had to be somber, but I feel that they spent too much time on that part. I also was not crazy about the way the characters looked, especially Tigger. His coloring was pale in comparison to the actual character. 

However, I left the movie feeling like I gained something from it and it also made me feel comforted and happy. It's a good reminder that in the busyness of life, it's important to take time to do nothing. Doing nothing can in fact be the most productive thing we do. I also enjoyed the scenery and the train scenes (something about trains that I really love, especially in movies). It was also easy to follow, which I appreciated. Because of all of this, it earned a heart. Plus, it's Winnie the Pooh. Need I say more?