A young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a home. Lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven.
I grew up in Dublin, Ireland, in the 70s and 80s, and I remember watching “Paddington Bear” on TV as a kid. It was fun to keep up with his weekly adventures, and although they reincarnated him in 1989 for one season, it didn’t have the magic the original series did. With the worldwide success of the HARRY POTTER movies having ended in 2011, producer David Heyman had his pick of movie projects, but he chose “Paddington,” bringing the same magic and excitement he brought to the HARRY POTTER series.
The film draws inspiration from the whole series and begins in the deepest, darkest Peru, where an English explorer, Montgomery Clyde (Tim Downie), discovers two adult bears, Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) and Uncle Pastuzo (Michael Gambon), and their young nephew. After teaching them about British culture and refinement, he heads back home, but before leaving, he tells them they are welcome to London any time.
Many years later, an earthquake destroys the home where the bears live, and Aunt Lucy implores the young bear to go to London to try to find Mr. Clyde. He reluctantly leaves, not knowing anything outside of the sanctuary he has lived in his whole life, but once he makes it to Paddington Station, he meets the Brown family, where the mother, Mary (Sally Hawkins), quickly takes a liking to him and decides upon his now-famous name. After he tells them the story of Montgomery Clyde, they set out to track him down, unaware that Clyde’s daughter, the wicked and nefarious Millicent (Nicole Kidman), has her own agenda that will result in Paddington being stuffed and mounted on display in the British Museum. “Paddington” is that rare movie that both children and adults will enjoy, with enough jokes and sight gags to please both. Thankfully, it never panders to its audience; instead, it sets out to tell the story and does so successfully.
While there are moments of peril throughout, for both Paddington and his newly adopted family, it is never on the scale of Indiana Jones or James Bond. Naturally, Paddington is all CGI, but he is so impressive and lifelike that after you first meet him, you forget you are watching a computer character. He blends in seamlessly with the rest of the human characters. Producer David Heyman brings in many actors from the HARRY POTTER franchise, including Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge), Michael Gambon (Dumbledore), Julie Walters (Molly Weasley), and Jim Broadbent (Horace Slughorn), and they all seem to be having fun. When we first meet the Browns, they are a dysfunctional family who are disconnected from each other, but after meeting Paddington and reluctantly welcoming him into their home, they begin to bond, and when Paddington is kidnapped by Millicent, they band together and will stop at nothing to get him back.
There was a big possibility that they could have botched the story and indeed the character of Paddington himself, but fear not, Paddington lovers, your favorite Peruvian bear has been brought to life in the most capable hands. There are some fun references to Indiana Jones, Mary Poppins, and even Mission: Impossible.” “Paddington” is an absolute joy to behold, and it is highly recommended.
Available on 4K Ultra HD™ + Blu-ray™ + Digital SteelBook November 10th
