Paddington 2

Dir: Paul King

2017

****

It’s not often that a sequel betters the original, especially when said sequel is a children’s film. That is however the case for Paddington 2, making it as much of a relief than the first film. The idea of an animated bear mixed with live animation filled me with absolute dread at first but thankfully both films were in the hands of Paul King and Simon Farnaby. Michael Bond’s classic character and stories are something not to be messed with, they are simplistic and poetic and have a unique charm about them that has made them loved across the globe. The original short stories have been updated but with strong influences that work rather well with Bond’s characters. From the very beginning I sensed a Chaplinesque feel about the sequel and then indeed, Modern Times and Chaplin himself were directly referenced. As a huge fan of Chaplin and the older slap-sticks, I like the fact that kids can be influenced by the comedy classics once more – and hopefully they will then seek them out. I also liked the Gerald Hoffnung ‘The Bricklayer’s Lament’ reference and the Mr. Bean tribute. I always find it frustrating that more sequels don’t take the advantage that a second film often gives. In the first film you have to introduce the protagonist, introduce him to the other characters and then enter into a moral lesson about belonging, acceptance, family etc etc. In the second film you can get on with an interesting story, as everything else is established and that is exactly what King and Farnaby have done. There are influences from all over and there is a slight reliability on familiarity but they win over with plenty of charm. I thought it was a shame regarding the first film that, yet again, a British film felt compelled to have an a-list Hollywood actor in it in order to appeal to a wider audience. They clearly realised they didn’t have to this time (not that there was anything wrong with Nicole Kidman’s performance) and the film boasts a wide collection of British actors from the big and small screens. Ben Whishaw returns as the voice of Paddington, Imelda Stanton and Michael Gambon return as the voices of Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo, both Jim Broadbent and Peter Capaldi reprise their roles from the first film and Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins and Julie Walters return as the Brown family. Among the newer additions are Brendan Gleeson, Noah Taylor, Tom Conti, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Ben Miller, Jessica Hynes and there are some great cameos from Joanna Lumley, Meera Syal and Richard Ayoade. The best new addition to the film though is the scene-stealing Hugh Grant who is absolutely fantastic. It just might be his best performance yet. His villain isn’t quite as two dimensional as most seen in kids/family films and he brings an altogether finer element to the formula. The big musical number in the prison is one of my favorite scenes of 2017 without much competition. The humour of the film is golden and is what makes it work so well. I found myself giggling constantly throughout the film, which I’ve always thought harder to achieve but more effective than simply producing two or three belly laughs. The overall production is glorious and perfectly balanced. Often kid’s films can look gourdy and over the top but there is visual richness to Paddington 2 that works wonderfully, especially in painting that dream-like look of London that everyone, apart from us that actually live there, have learned to expect. The pop up book that features heavily was also in part a tribute to the 1970s/80s animated series of Paddington that I grew up with, which was a lovely touch. It’s a very pleasant and enjoyable sequel, with plenty of charm and laughs for all ages. Most importantly though, it is authentic to the late Michael Bond’s little bear.