You may not have seen the first Paddington (2014) and if not, we strongly recommend you do, and then we would recommend you go straight out and watch Paddington 2.
The first film was great, but we couldn’t help thinking how will they make a sequel anywhere near as good, what could Paddington get up to now he has found a home? Well, it turns out there is always room for a little bear to get up to mischief in London, and it is so brilliantly done.
The film begins back in the deepest darkest Peru showing us how Paddington was first found by Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo, and then moves onto his new life in London where he is trying to buy Aunt Lucy a Birthday present, because it’s not every day that a bear turns 100. From a slapstick style routine with a shaver in a barber shop to him cleaning the windows of the Shard with his furry bottom, Paddington is even more charming than last time. The story develops and Paddington finds himself caught up in some trouble led by Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant). Without giving too much away, Paddington in Prison is a particularly amusing part of the film.
Hugh Grant is excellent. Not his usual bumbling rom com self, but a has-been, self-obsessed actor now spending his days in dog food adverts. From his Shakespearian outbursts to impersonating a Nun, he adds a great sense of comedic villainy, a perfect match for Paddington.
As you might expect from a family film there is a happy ending, but it is not the ending we expected and it is so overwhelmingly emotional that even Lily had little tears streaming down her face.
It is not often that a sequel is better than the original, but Paddington 2 is. This film is beautifully witty as well as action packed, with that Great British feel to it. It is one of the best films we’ve seen all year, a must see in the cinema.
PS. We strongly recommend that you stick around for the credits.
“I liked the bit with the Marmalade Sandwiches” – Lily, 5 years old, 2017