Review of Paddington (2014) by Zach F — 08 Feb 2018

I have found there is a distinct difference between a children's movie and a family movie. A children's movie is something produced and written for children, so purposefully easy to digest. This not necessarily make a film bad, it just means there is a bit of a generational divide. Unfortunately this often translates to studios putting little effort into a worthwhile film and just attempting to make something distracting to kids, with quality ranging from passable to poor. These films generally appeal to kid's as they don't require a whole lot of emotional investment or thought.

A family film on the other hand is something that gives a little bit to everyone in the area of entertainment. A good family film should bring a family together for at least 90 minutes of mild to superb amounts of enjoyment. Paddington serves a good example of a family film that works on most levels. It's main character, Paddington, is optimism at it's very finest, providing a moral center for the movie without being preachy in it's wake. It provide a flawed character that has self doubt and legitimate worries, so while he's a touch naive he is by no means an annoying character. The only characters that seems annoyed by Paddington are the main family at different segments of the movie, each learning what they value in the character throughout the movie. And I suppose the ornery neighbor but he is a bit of prude anyway. ABove all else Paddington is a kid, curious, optimistic, and searching for a home in the fast paced and crazy world that is modernity.

The movie itself offers much in the way of comedic and dramatic value, both elements rather than being put in separate segments and readily ordered intervals, are ebbed and flowed naturally and organically throughout the film's runtime. This movie is perfectly British in this respect, where it isn't a film of smart Know-It-Alls, but genuine characters that movie though an indifferent world, adding legitimate wonder to it.

While the movie could have executed it's ending conflict and antagonist better, it only effects my opinion of this movie slightly, because malice and diabolic plots aren't at the focus of this movie. It's the emotional center of a family dynamic, making Paddington truly a spectacular family film.