Paddington 2

At the time I am writing this review, Paddington 2 has a certified 100% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, which means all the 156 critics that saw it are saying “Yes, this movie has more good elements than bad.” Having a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes does not mean the film deserves a 100/100 score of quality, it means that all the critics that went to see it enjoyed watching it. Last week I was watching the volume of positivity flow through my phone about this film, and I thought there is no way a movie released in January can be breaking critical records. I finally decided that I should stop assuming the worst: the critics are being paid, the system is broken, January is the next December, I decided to see it with my own eyes and gain my own opinion of this film. I left the theater completely shocked at how wrong I was.

Although it is a sequel, Paddington 2 stands on its own with enjoyable characters—telling very witty jokes—and a heartwarming story for all ages. The overall story is very simple, but how the film executes the feelings and subplots of the characters into the main narrative is where it excels. Every little detail introduced in the beginning eventually comes back to reveal a satisfying, interwoven puzzle that surprised me when I believed I was watching a film written for children. Yes, the atmosphere and main protagonist are definitely childish and campy, but the third act ramped into a thrilling chase with several moments that were very unexpected and challenged the safety a usual children’s film doesn’t dare to write. But before the story gets serious, the entire run time is filled with unforgettable scenes of character and humor that never slacked in quality or intent. I went with my mom, and we were laughing throughout from very British humor. All of these elements were so well done, and they were held together by impressive cinematography that incorporated silent props and angles that made Paddington seem like any other person in any other movie instead of a clunky, CGI bear. One scene in particular had the model of a building, naturally placed on a table, open up to reveal the next scene was already happening inside it. This perfectly introduced opportunities to have small banter between characters to describe what was happening, but instead the film did this visually by intercutting faces and shots from previous scenes to naturally show how the characters were seeing the geography around them.

The only film I saw with Sally Hawkins before this one was The Shape of Water, and both of these films prove how talented she can be. Her character was a little in the background for most of the story, but her performance made it shine brighter than most other characters. The other two performances that deserve to be mentioned were Ben Wishaw (Paddington) and Hugh Grant. There was so much emotion that showed through the CGI face of Paddington. It wasn’t like Caesar in War for the Planet of the Apes, but the bear never seemed separated from the world he was in. Hugh Grant had the best jokes, and it was visibly clear that he had a lot of fun being in this film. I wish I could talk about his scenes, but I don’t want to ruin what I think were the best jokes.

Overall if you want to have an emotional and joy filled experience that praises seeing the world in a positive light, go see Paddington 2. I know this year just started, but I hope this small January-film stays above the sea of upcoming blockbusters.

Story Rating: 8/10

Character Rating: 9/10