Review of 'Paddington 2'

paddington2.jpg Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw), is now happily settled with the Brown family in London, making friends with whoever he meets. When his friend antique dealer Mr. Gruber (Jim Broadbent) shows him a pop-up book of London Paddington realises this would be the perfect gift for his Aunt Lucy's (Imelda Staunton's) 100th birthday. Paddington takes on a series of jobs to raise the money to purchase the book only to see it stolen by a thief then accused himself of it's theft. Now in jail, it is up to Paddington to prove his innocence and find a gift for his aunt…

Another charming outing of the lovable bear brought to life on the big screen. The calm, pleasant pace of the first film continues here with the comedy very relaxed, the characters very easy to understand and, of course, Paddington as charming as always despite always getting into trouble (I have no doubt the Brown family's insurance bill must be sky high). The supporting cast here is wonderful including Jim Broadbent as Mr. Gruber, Imelda Staunton as the voice of Aunt Lucy, Julie Walters as Mrs Bird, Joanna Lumley as Felicity Fanshawe, comedian Ben Miller as Colonel Lancaster, Hugh Grant as the villainous actor Phoenix Buchanan, Peter Capaldi (former Doctor Who) as Mr. Curry…this is a veritable who's who of British acting talent, all wanting to get in on the fun. That is exactly what this is, a whole lot of fun that should in no way be taken seriously as it pokes fun at English mannerisms and society (though perhaps a slightly dated vision of this). Paddington is still amazingly believable despite being a special effect who immediately draws you in with his charm and innocence.

Yeah, it has the plot depth of a crisp packet but it is a whole lot of fun seeing what trouble Paddington gets himself into and how he manages to get out of it. Unlikely to get an Academy Award….

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2019-12-29


Directed by: Paul King

Studio: Studio Canal

Year: 2017

Length: 103 minutes

Genre: Comedy

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4468740/


Other reviewed films by Paul King: