Directed by: Paul King
Starring: Ben Whishaw, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, Hugh Grant, Brendan Gleeson
Rated: PG
Runtime: 103 minutes
Better than your Average Bear
I wasn’t all that excited for “Paddington 2”. If you’ve been reading my reviews a while, you know I definitely didn’t give “Paddington” one of the most positive reviews I’ve ever given. You also know I would never in a thousand years wear my only pair of socks with bears on them or a blue hoodie just to look a little bit more like the eponymous ursine star to go see it. That would be weird.
Okay, none of that is true. It kind of hurt to type it. In fact, if I had an adorable red hat resembling Paddington’s, you can be darn sure I would’ve worn that thing proudly for a week leading up to the release of the sequel. In other words, I don’t think I can find the words to express just how much I love this polite, good-hearted little bear, but for the sake of reviewing this film, I’ll try.
“Paddington 2” tells the story of Paddington trying to find a birthday present for Aunt Lucy, the lovely bear who raised him in Darkest Peru. When he finds the perfect gift, he sets out to find a job so he can afford it. In the meantime, the present is stolen and Paddington is framed for the crime. Now, it’s up to the Browns to solve the case and clear Paddington’s name while he does what he does best – bring joy to the most unlikely and unwelcoming of places. Which, in this case, is a prison.
Let’s start with the script. The Paddington movies have the best screenwriting of any children’s movies ever, except for maybe “Zootopia” and “Toy Story”. Writing this exceptional is so far beyond what could reasonably be expected for a children’s movie, and that’s only part of the reason these films are so critically acclaimed (“Paddington 2” is one of four movies ever to hold a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes after more than 100 reviews, and it has 155). Every little detail of the dialogue and script influences the film as a whole. In other words, not a second of the film is wasted space. Every shot and word matters and works together perfectly.
In my opinion, this was also the case with the first Paddington film. However, sequels commonly lose some of their charm by not feeling as original as the first in a series. Thankfully, our favorite bear transcends that. I can assure you that “Paddington 2” is every bit as enjoyable and deserving of praise as the first film, and in some ways, it’s even better.
The first film’s villain was a taxidermist convincingly played by Nicole Kidman, whose performance could be considered scary by very young children. In lieu of an intense villain, “Paddington 2” chooses instead to have a less serious and much more clever antagonist. This time around, the villain is Phoenix Buchanan, an actor in decline who does little more than embarrassing commercials anymore. None other than Hugh Grant portrays this villain, whose career arc matches that of his character. Kids will appreciate his goofiness while adults can appreciate the metacommentary.
As for other things that will interest adults, I mentioned in my review for “Paddington” that Paul King’s directing style bears resemblance (no pun intended) to the style of acclaimed auteur Wes Anderson. He loves symmetry, imaginative editing and illustrations, bright colors and eccentric characters. In “Paddington 2”, this style is even more pronounced and more specific. “Paddington 2” has a shocking amount in common with “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. It feels like a love letter to the Wes Anderson film with its color palette, prison scenes and overall plot beats. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is a fantastic film, and in my (probably unpopular) opinion, “Paddington 2” is better.
It should be noted that “Paddington 2” doesn’t make an attempt at unpredictability. You’ll know exactly what the conclusion of the film is going to be as soon as the final scene starts, but I dare you to feel anything but pure joy as it plays out on screen. Even though I predicted it, I still had to fight to hold back tears, and movies never make me cry.
There’s just something so refreshing about how resiliently positive these movies are. There is no doom and gloom, impending apocalypse or life-or-death situation. They’re simply movies about the underestimated power of kindness and how a compassionate smile and thoughtful perspective can change lives more than, say, the prison-industrial complex or societal apathy. Is it naïve? Maybe. Do I agree? Absolutely.
If it’s unclear, I love every single thing about this soon-to-be trilogy. My expectations for “Paddington 2” were astronomically high, and they were exceeded in just about every way imaginable. No matter who you are, whatever your race, age or preference of pizza toppings, even if you have to endure Antarctic temperatures or the screams of children in the theater, see “Paddington 2” as soon as possible. You won’t regret it.
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