Paddington 2: Review

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Director: Paul King
Cast: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson

Three years on, and the nation’s favourite Peruvian bear is back with another unequivocally charming adventure on the big screen, featuring more laughter, more familiar British faces, and more of a certain citrus conserve.

Since his cinema debut, Paddington Bear (Whishaw) has become a firmly integral part of the Brown family, and clearly befriended, and touched, many of the fellow residents of Windsor Gardens. But when he is wrongly accused of stealing a priceless antique book, he is sent to prison, and it is up to his loved ones to exonerate him.  

One of the plentiful endearing qualities about Paddington 2 is the abundance of likeable characters. The furry titular bear himself is an adorable mix of wisdom and naivetĂ©, brandishing morals to enlighten all, yet being childlike in his trust of everyone he meets. The Browns are as loveable as ever, unconditionally supporting Paddington and relentlessly trying to clear his name. A new addition to the list of characters includes the surly prison chef Knuckles McGinty (Gleeson), who forms an unlikely alliance with Paddington, and although we momentarily doubt his loyalty, he redeems himself in a truly heart-warming moment.  

Even the villain, washed-up and embittered actor Phoenix Buchanan (Grant), is wickedly charismatic and is arguably the funniest character in the film. One of the many moments of hilarity in the movie comes when Buchanan, now in prison, performs an elaborate musical number, involving all of the other inmates executing flamboyant choreography.

What is an impressive trait in any family film is the ability to find humour for children and adults alike, and Paddington 2 manages this with great skill. This is a genuine laugh-out-loud movie that exploits slapstick, visual comedy and witty dialogue equally, utilising a hugely comically talented cast. There are some ridiculous laughs that we accept due to the fantastical nature of the Paddington world.  For example, Mr Brown (Bonneville) putting his yoga skills to use as he balances between two moving trains in the perfect splits.

Paddington 2 is the point of reference for sequels; a new engaging narrative, developing pre-existing characters while introducing more, being massively entertaining and perhaps even better than its predecessor. Albeit predictable, the tearjerker of an ending is a moving conclusion to this beautiful film. The ideal balance between comedy and emotion, Paddington 2 is a joy.



MS

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