Paddington 2 (2017)

Paddington 2 (2017)

7/10

Starring

Hugh Bonneville

Sally Hawkins

Hugh Grant

Ben Whishaw as voice of Paddington

Directed by Paul King

After Paddington is convicted and sent to jail, the movie starts to test you. The test? How hard can you hold yourself from falling over laughing as Paddington clumsily makes his way through prison? We see him adjust with some help and transform the prison using Aunt Lucy’s teachings to make everyone a little nicer.

Paddington 2 is a live-action/CGI animated comedy film, full of the same characters from the first movie (Paddington (2014)) and some new additions, many of whom you’ll love to see. One standout is Hugh Grant, whose character is thoroughly enjoyable.

In this installment, Aunt Lucy is about to turn one hundred years old, and Paddington wants to get her a special present. He sets his eyes on a unique pop-up book of London in Mr. Gruber’s antique shop. Paddington wants this book because Aunt Lucy has always dreamed of visiting London, so he hopes to bring London to her. The problem? The book is far more expensive than Paddington can afford, so he takes on odd jobs to raise the money.

One evening, on his way home after a busy day of work, Paddington makes a detour to the antique shop to look at the book through the window. While there, he spots a thief breaking into the shop. Paddington, of course, goes after the thief, but in doing so, he ends up inside the shop and then outside chasing the thief, who eventually escapes. The incident triggers the alarm and alerts the police, but Paddington is the only one left at the scene. He insists he’s innocent and mentions the thief he saw, but his paw prints and marmalade stains are the only evidence left behind—enough to convict poor Paddington.

The Browns believe Paddington and take on the task of trying to find the real criminal. The only challenge? The thief happens to be a master of disguise.

The Paddington films are fun family movies set in a fictional world where an anthropomorphic bear migrates from the jungles of “darkest Peru” to the streets of London. The movie is based on the stories of the character Paddington, from the children’s book series of the same name created by Michael Bond.

I’d advise you to take the whole family to see this movie. And don’t worry—Mr. Curry, played by our beloved twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi (of the Doctor Who series), is still around to hate on Paddington and, in the process, bring the whole community together to save and clear his name.