JLFM's Movie Review of Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin

Lesser Pooh Effort Still Charms
JLFM - wrote on 05/09/12

Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search For Christopher Robin was a film I very much valued as a younger child, as I did with all the Pooh films. So it was a very nostalgic, and wonderful reunion, when I saw the film again, years later. It hasn't held up as well as other Pooh films, but it's a treat to be sure.

Pooh's Grand Adventure is about Pooh, Rabbit, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore, and their search for Christopher Robin, whom they believe have gone to "Skull."

I must warn you, the first 15 minutes are considerably better than anything else in the movie. That's not to say the rest is bad, but it's a little under-par for a Pooh film, while the first 15 minutes is arguably, Pooh at his very best. These first 15 minutes balance, humor, emotions, whimsy, and simple, yet elegant imagery. Only Pooh and Christopher Robin appear at first, which adds to the simplicity.

The rest of the film, never tops, or even comes close to these first 15 minutes, but it's still enjoyable.

Pooh's Grand Adventure is much darker than anything Pooh has brought us so far. It's less funny as well. Sure, there's still a lot of gags, most of which will evoke smiles and often laughs, but by comparison, there's much less than in previous (or even future) Pooh outings.

There are songs, all very whimsical. Some are beautiful, others are funny. They all work, and not one should evoke a reach towards the skip button.

There's a lot of emotion here, nearly as much as in The Tigger Movie. Things like fear and being alone come up, and it's surprisingly touching.

The voice cast is wonderful. Voices are captured perfectly. The stand out performances as Christopher Robin, Rabbit, and Tigger are wonderful. Kanga and Roo, one might note, has been completely omitted.

Pooh's Grand Adventure doesn't reach the dramatic heights of Pooh's other endeavors, but this is still whimsical, emotional, and amusing for all.