The first Paddington film was a delightful surprise, and the sequel has arguably a better repetition. With Paddington in Peru now out, it is worth looking at why Paddington 2 is so beloved.
Paddington (Ben Whishaw) has settled into life in London with the Brown family. He has become a popular resident in Windsor Gardens and helps his neighbours with their problems. His Aunt Lucy is about to celebrate her 100th birthday and Paddington has found the perfect present, a valuable popup book, but when the book gets stolen, Paddington gets charged with robbery and sent to prison. It’s up to the Browns to prove Paddington adapts to life in prison.
Paddington 2 is adored, it has 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and did have a 100% score until some spoilsports gave the film negative reviews. It’s still one of the most highly rated films on Rotten Tomatoes since it only has two negative reviews out of 250 and is rated #49 in Rotten Tomatoes’ 300 Best Movies of All Time list. That’s a list that contends classics like The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, and The Godfather.
Paddington 2 has had a massive pop cultural impact. Marks & Spencer’s Christmas advert in 2017 told a cute story about Paddington thinking a burglar was Father Christmas and made him return all the gifts. The bear got to meet the Queen during the Diamond Jubilee. Whishaw reprised his role for the animated series on Nick Jr. The Twitter user Jaythechou has brought joy to the social media platform by photoshopping Paddington into other films, TV shows, and other media. Paddington has become one of Britain’s biggest cultural exports in recent years.
Paddington 2 had more sense of urgency than its predecessor, which is impressive considering the villain’s plot in the first film was to murder, stuff, and put the bear on public display. Paddington had a relaxed feel and pace as the titular bear became a part of the Browns family searching London to find the explorer. The sequel saw The Brown family needing to prove Paddington’s innocence and stop a criminal. The family have more to do and got into more risky situations.
Whilst the story changed for the sequel, the essence of Paddington hasn’t. In the first film, Paddington improved the lives of the Brown family, and the sequel showed him becoming an integral part of the community in Windsor Gardens. When Paddington was taken to prison, Windsor Gardens fell into a depression when he was gone. In prison, Paddington was able to improve things, making it a happier place by improving the lives of the prisoners, improving the menu, and bringing in storytime. He was able to soften the heart of Knuckles McGinty (Brendan Gleeson), the most feared man in prison by seeing the positives. Knuckles did have some impressive orange squeezers. Paddington’s purity makes him one of the few fictional characters who could lift Mjölnir, even if he can’t lift a bucket of water.
The style of humour in Paddington 2 was the same as Paddington. There were lots of slapstick shenanigans, like Paddington’s attempts at employment. Some of the more adult-orientated jokes were a little suggestive, like the ‘nice buns’ line. The comedy was even tighter in Paddington 2 as shown by Paddington’s feud with Judge Biggleswade (Tom Conti) which followed the comedy rule of three since they had three major encounters. The mid-credit song and dance gave audiences a taste of Paul King’s follow up film, Wonka.
Paddington 2 also ensured that it had a lot of heart. Paddington’s original goal was to get his Aunt Lucy a special present. The scene when Paddington enters the pop-up book had a sense of whimsy and wonder and the art style felt like it was paying homage to the ‘70s series. The ending of the film should make even the hardest souls happy to cry as Paddington reunites with Aunt Lucy.
Paddington 2 had even more star power than the previous film. Hugh Grant was the villain of the film, and he was a delight as a vain and narcissistic actor. He was funny and devious yet not as dark as Millicent was in the previous film. Grant has said Paddington 2 is the best film he has ever been in. Gleeson was the other major character and he was hilarious as the hardman who Paddington softens. The supporting cast was filled with recognisable British actors. The residents of Windsor Gardens included Jessica Hynes (Spaced), Ben Miller (Johnny English), and Sanjeev Bhaskar (Goodness Gracious Me), whilst Joanna Lumley was fun in her small role. Even Richard Ayoade had a cameo when he was at the height of his popularity.
Paddington 2 was a wonderfully wholesome film that will make anyone smile, young or old. Let’s hope that Paddington in Peru will complete a fantastic trilogy.
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