Review of Paddington (2014) by Robert R — 30 Aug 2015

This is a great, warm-hearted, laugh-out-loud comedy which brings to the big screen the story of one of the most charming of childhood characters. Paddington, the little bear from darkest Peru, found at a railway station is such an adorable character with his hat and duffle coat and obsession with marmalade sandwiches.

In the past, he's been seen in books, comic strips and a much loved TV series and quite why it has taken so long for him to have his very own movie is a bit of a mystery. The track record of such characters in the cinema is not good with many being poorly served in the past.

I'm pleased to say that Paul King has managed to update the setting and yet retain the magic. Paddington was always a gentle soul, polite and innocent who got into scrapes and mischief through trying to be good and do the right thing.

This aspect has been retained and the result is delightful. Nicole Kidman is given the role of a somewhat unhinged taxidermist, bent on stuffing our hero for an exhibit at the Natural History Museum. I wasn't sure about the need for this aspect of the plot at first but it does actually work well and provides some of the movie's stand out comedy moments.

However, the realisation of the little bear is the thing that really impresses. The interaction between him and others in the cast, notably Hugh Bonneville is simply brilliant and what we end up with is a delightful movie that will entertain people of all ages whether the character is new to them or not.