On paper, this Disney musical about AA Milne’s honey-loving bear and his gang has all the makings of a bulletproof hit. Inspired by the adored books and successful film franchise, the adaptation arrives in the UK after rave reviews in America. How could it possibly go wrong?
What is surprising is that this Disney juggernaut looks and sounds bizarrely like a sleepy CBeebies studio show, with anodyne songs by the Sherman brothers that are instantly forgettable. Jonathan Rockefeller’s book is basic, with none of Disney’s characteristic ability to speak to children and adults at once, and the plotting is threadbare.
