Full disclosure: Winnie the Pooh holds such a dear and special place in my heart.
Full disclosure to the point of oversharing: I have ugly-cried every single time I have watched a trailer for “Christopher Robin” because that’s how up in my feels I get about it.
We now have our first full-length trailer of the upcoming “Christopher Robin” and, honestly, I’m giddy. In the previously circulated teaser trailer, we get a small glimpse of a grown-up Christopher Robin that is unhappy and perhaps beaten down by the very concept of “growing up.” In a moment of contemplation, his old friend, Winnie the Pooh, appears.
When looking at the trailer, it’s obvious that this is a good ole “finding the joy in adulthood by remembering the joy of childhood” thread but there was some ambiguity as to the method. Is Pooh really there? Are we living solely in the realm of imagination? The fresh, official trailer seems to answer many of these questions.
In this more fleshed out trailer, we see that Christopher Robin has, in fact, grown up. He’s working some kind of soulless job in the grey, grown-up world. In true, sappy form, his duties pull him away from his family and he is broken. Enter that silly old bear. In this trailer, it seems more apparent that Pooh and the residents of the Hundred Acre Wood are actually a part of this universe. First, Christopher Robin is transported back to the Wood and is reunited with his friends, then they follow him home to save him from himself.
The result? Incredibly sweet.
To this point, we’ve only gotten a taste of Pooh and Co. but I’m already so in love. The design remains extremely loyal to the aesthetic of the animated features but brings it into the real world. The color palette and textures just whisper soft and it’s shaping up to be a warm hug in film form.
Overall, “Christopher Robin” has promise. The jaded critic in me realizes that it will probably be cheesy and may not amount to anything to write home about. But the child at heart who loves that silly old bear is so looking forward to his return to the big screen. It will be a sweet story that has clearly been lovingly made. What more could you want?
“Christopher Robin” is directed by Marc Forster, stars Ewan McGregor and Hayley Atwell, and features the vocal talents of Jim Cummings, Peter Capaldi and Brad Garrett.
We’ll be returning to the Hundred Acre Wood on August 3, 2018. I’m bringing my tissues.
Caitlin is a lean, mean writing machine based in Austin, TX. Her love of film began when she was shown “Rosemary’s Baby” way too early in life. Bylines include The Financial Diet and Film Inquiry. Caitlin is a member of the Online Association of Female Film Critics and the Women Film Critics Circle.