Review of Paddington 2 (2017) by Tony T — 29 Nov 2017

The late Michael Bond, creator of Paddington Bear, would've been proud. Paddington 2 is surprisingly superior to the first film (2014) with a far better antagonist played by the very committed Hugh Grant who did great. Not all of its humour works for adults but throughout the entire film, I felt happy and engaged by the simple, lighthearted world where kindness is always returned despite at times wanting to punch the overly clumsy bear.

Sure, there are a lot of cartoon-ish, dumb moments that wouldn't quite make sense in the real world but the film never takes itself seriously and yet it somehow works very, very well. One of the fellow critics at the screening mentioned that the film's style has very Wes Anderson feel to it, and I agree. This sequel is certainly entertaining for all ages and successfully conveys the effects of kindness and courage. It definitely made me want to be a bit more kind and polite to others after watching it. I can't believe it even got my eyes teary at the end.