Paddington

Paddington Bear was a staple children’s book growing up. The cuddly bear, wearing his signature red hat and blue duffle coat, has become a worldwide best-seller. I was initially hesitant about Hollywood creating a live-action film using a CGI bear but was pleasantly surprised to find a charming and family-friendly film that can be enjoyed by all, just like the books.

Coming from darkest Peru, a young Paddington finds himself alone in London looking for a new family after his forest home is wiped out by an earthquake. It’s at the train station that he meets the Brown family, who reluctantly agree to take him in for the time being until he can find a more permanent solution. Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville), who works in risk assessment, is the most hesitant to bring a bear into his house, but his wife (Sally Hawkins) convinces him otherwise. With their help, Paddington searches for the explorer who visited his aunt and uncle years ago in darkest Peru and told them that if they ever came to London that they would have a place to stay. Unfortunately that was many years ago, and some people aren’t as nice as this old explorer was.

Paddington is very much like the books it’s based on. New to city life entirely, Paddington has a way of finding himself in troubling situations. It seems like every few minutes the curious bear finds himself in one sort of conundrum or another, whether it’s trying to use the bathroom or going down an escalator. Ben Whishaw voices Paddington and brings a lovable charm and innocence to the character. He never means any harm and always has everyone’s best interests at heart. It just so happens that things don’t always go smoothly; that’s all.

What I also enjoy about the film is that they don’t make a big deal out of the fact that there’s a talking bear in London. For everyone who meets Paddington, it’s just another normal day. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any cheeky bear antics that happen, like when Paddington attempt to teach anyone how to correctly pronounce his bear name which consists of a series of roars.

Paddington’s search for the explorer is hindered by the evil taxidermist from the Natural History Museum who is played by Nicole Kidman. She wants to stuff Paddington and display him in a glass box for all to see. Her character is reminiscent of wacky cartoon villains who have their evil plots foiled by their own stupidity. In fact, almost the entirety of Paddington is a cartoon that has come to life.

Oftentimes when we look back on things we loved from our childhood they’re not as great or as entertaining as we once thought. We’ve grown up and moved on. Paddington reminds audiences what it’s like to be a kid again with a smart and charming story that’s fun for the entire family.