“Witty and entertaining.”
The cute marmalade-loving, hat-sporting Peruvian bear is
back to give us a good laugh and a good feeling of joy and warmth in Paddington 2. In this sequel to the
2014 internationally-acclaimed love-action/CGI animated comedy film, Paddington
has settled into an idyllic life with the Brown family in Windsor Gardens,
doing cleaning works while cheering people at the same time. Everything is in
right order until he meets Phoenix Buchanan, a faded actor who is now starring
in a hilarious dog food commercial. An exclusive pop-up book in an antique shop,
which Paddington wants so much to purchase for his Aunt Lucy’s 100th
birthday, is stolen by a mysterious culprit and Paddington was arrested, tried,
and jailed for it. While the Brown family religiously finds the true criminal,
Paddington struggles to find friends in the dreary prison. Charming and witty
he is, Paddington forms his own band of prison brothers, secures his way to
freedom, and finally redeems his family name.
Paddington 2 is an entertaining near-two-hours
viewing experience. There is a good blend of live action and CGI animation, and
though hilarious, the idea of humans interacting with talking bears is a refreshing
take of classic children’s tales. There is an impressive eye for details as
events, places, and characters come to life effortlessly. Old school gags and
slapstick acts, despite being unoriginal, are still comic and engaging. Ben Whishaw
(Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Cloud Atlas, and The Danish Girl) lent a
good voice to Paddington, as his gentle tone brings a sweet kind of gentleness amidst
commotion and tears. Hugh Grant is a welcome surprise as he glides from a
desperate circus actor to a mad bearded man and to several others. There are
countless cameos, and characters come and go, and yet, development of each
character is nicely done without losing grasp of the film’s real star. Most importantly,
the movie has heart-warming lessons about looking for the goodness in people,
about family and friends, and about staying true to one’s self in the middle of
trials and challenges.
Production:
A Studiocanal presentation in association with Anton Capital Entertainment,
with the participation of Canal+. Cine+, Amazon Prime Instant Video of an
Heyday Films production
Cast: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Hugh Grant, Brandan Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, Michael Gambon, Simon Farnaby, Tom Conti, Noah Taylor
Director: Paul King
Screenwriters: Paul King, Simon Farnaby, based on the books by Michael Bond Producers: Rosie Alison, Jeffrey Clifford, Alexandra Ferguson Derbyshire, Ron Halpern, Didier Lupfer
Director of photography: Erik WIlson
Production designer: Gary Williamson
Costume designer: Lindy Hemming
Editors: Mark Everson, Jonathan Amos
Music: Dario Marianelli
Cast: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Hugh Grant, Brandan Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, Michael Gambon, Simon Farnaby, Tom Conti, Noah Taylor
Director: Paul King
Screenwriters: Paul King, Simon Farnaby, based on the books by Michael Bond Producers: Rosie Alison, Jeffrey Clifford, Alexandra Ferguson Derbyshire, Ron Halpern, Didier Lupfer
Director of photography: Erik WIlson
Production designer: Gary Williamson
Costume designer: Lindy Hemming
Editors: Mark Everson, Jonathan Amos
Music: Dario Marianelli
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