‘Christopher Robin” is the ideal family movie of the summer, especially for families with little ones and lovers of Pooh Bear.

Like watching the old Winnie-the-Pooh (or Pooh for short) cartoons from childhood with a dash of “Saving Mr. Banks,” the movie is as much fun for little ones as it is for adults. But some fantastic and incredibly relevant themes may surprise older viewers, as the film makes a deeply profound statement about our modern material- and work-obsessed society.

If you’ve seen the trailers, you already have a pretty good idea of the premise. All grown up, overworked and with a family of his own, Christopher Robin (fantastically played by Ewan McGregor) has left behind and let go of his past friends of the Hundred-Acre Wood where he played as a child. Somehow, his old friend Pooh Bear finds his way back to him in his residence of London when Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger and friends disappear.

“Captain America” star Hayley Atwell plays Christopher’s wife, Evelyn, and Bronte Carmichael his daughter Madeline. Atwell is particularly notable, giving a warm kindness to Evelyn, while also being a voice of reason trying to get her husband to see the heavy toll his employer and excessive time at work are taking on their family.

Jim Cummings once again lends his iconic voice to Pooh and Tigger as he has done since the 1990s. Brad Garrett’s baritone voice fits Eeyore perfectly. Nick Mohammed voices Piglet, former Dr. Who Peter Capaldi is Rabbit, Toby Jones is Owl, and Sophie Okonedo and Sara Sheen voice Kanga and Roo, respectively.

The special effects for all of them are top-notch and amazingly believable, and seeing Pooh in real life for the first time will make fans smile with utter delight.

But the heart and center of the movie are Ewan McGregor and Pooh, a pairing of absolutely heartwarming proportions. McGregor is solidified as a professional tearjerker after this and Tim Burton’s “Big Fish,” and he’s one of the most charismatic actors of this era. His portrayal of Christopher Robin’s journey from being a career-driven adult to seeing the more important things in life is a bittersweet story with a joyous conclusion.

And Pooh is the hero’s guide and source of wisdom, whether either of them knows it or not. Pooh is as just as lovable as you remember. The incarnation of silliness, innocence and simplicity in the form of an adorable stuffed bear you grew up with just might make you cry just out of seeing him in such a realistic portrayal.

Director Marc Forster is known for his darker, more serious outings in cinema, such as “World War Z,” “Quantum of Solace,” and “Monster’s Ball.” Anyone familiar with his filmography might have scratched their heads at the choice of director. But Forster delivers a joyous, light and fun movie for all ages. The plot and peril are relatively simple and lighthearted, and the film delivers an incredibly relevant message.

The entire movie overall holds up a mirror to modern society with commentary on our obsession with overworking ourselves at the cost of family and individuality. It says what a lot of us are thinking as we watch Christopher Robin’s plight: How much have we given up in a society that puts production over people and materialism and money over life experiences and family?

“Christopher Robin” may even cause you to question what you have given up in your own life, putting things off until “later” for the sake of a professional institution that probably views you as replaceable.

But the third act, with as few spoilers as possible, serves as a statement about the perils and treachery of toxic, overpaid corporate management as a sort of “power to the workers” theme plays out, contributing to the resolution to one of the film’s central obstacles and comeuppance for an antagonist.

There’s an underlying call for income equality, a calling out of greedy and overpaid corporate one-percenters who view their workers as expendable, and great use of the word “woozle” for this comparison. My jaw dropped at how perfectly such a big statement was made so that even a child could understand it, yet never comes off as preachy. “Winnie-the-Pooh and the Virtues of the Working Class,” anyone?

What to do, What to do, what to do? Definitely go see it. “Christopher Robin” isn’t just good, it’s surprisingly good, and any tears it may bring will be of joy and self-reflection.

It’s an all-around playful and lighthearted experience from start to finish. And it stays faithful to the Pooh adventures you remember from childhood, while delivering the best social statement in a Disney movie since “Zootopia.”

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“Christopher Robin” is currently playing at the Riverside Cinemas, 1017 S. Boone St. in Aberdeen.

George Haerle holds a bachelor’s degree in creative writing for media and lives in Cosmopolis.