Paddington 2

Any fears that this sequel couldn’t match the warmth, wit and charm of 2014’s surprisingly good first film are quickly dispelled.  This is, quite simply, a nigh on perfect, feel-good family film.

Premise:  Paddington’s settled into life with the Brown family in Windsor Gardens, where his acts of kindness have brought the neighbours together as a community.  But his efforts to earn enough money to buy Aunt Lucy an antique pop-up book of London as a 100th birthday present backfire when the book is stolen from Mr Gruber’s shop.

Review:

I went into 2014’s Paddington with very low expectations, but was almost instantly won over by its charm and warmth.  Generally, I find that it’s rare for a “family” film to manage to be funny and sweet but without being schmaltzy or insincere, but Paddington made me laugh and cry, and took me completely by surprise.  So I was very cautious when they announced they were doing a sequel, as I worried that they couldn’t catch lightning in a bottle for a second time, especially when the plot of the first film felt so self-contained, in terms of telling the story of an illegal immigrant fleeing a natural disaster who finally found a home in London thanks to the kindness of its people.

To my relief, Paddington 2 is every bit as charming, funny  and wonderful as the first film.  It avoids the pitfalls of some sequels by resisting the urge to either rehash/undo the plot of the first film (so there’s no need, for example, for Paddington, voiced by Ben Whishaw, to have to win over Mr Brown, played by Hugh Bonneville, all over again), or to “go big” by having Paddington go on some sort of globe-trotting adventure.  Instead, the simple storyline feels like it could very easily have been taken directly from one of Michael Bond’s original stories.

“…very funny on a number of different levels…”

One of the elements that was so great about the first film, and which comes directly from Michael Bond’s books, is the love of London.  The film really captured the vibrant, eclectic and multicultural spirit of London which, for me at least (having spent the majority of my life in or around London), was one of the most realistic portrayals of London I had ever seen on screen.  Maybe “realistic” isn’t quite the right work, as this is certainly a romanticised version of London – but this is certainly London at its best, with its vibrant melting-pot of cultures and its all-embracing cosmopolitan spirit.  That same love on London shines through in Paddington 2, even down to the return of the fourth-wall-breaking calypso band that appeared in the first film.

The film is also very funny on a number of different levels, as it includes everything from physical slapstick comedy (such as Paddington’s various attempts at odd jobs), to hidden sight gags (such as background newspapers headlines), to great one-liners.  Hugh Bonneville continues to demonstrate a surprising talent for comedy, and both of the big new additions to the cast, Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleeson (as the gloriously monikered Phoenix Buchanan and Knuckles McGinty), are clearly having an absolute ball.  In fact, one of the surprising things about this film is that it feels like even all of the minor characters are played by some of Britain’s greatest comic talents, from Joanna Lumley, Tom Conti, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal, to Ben Miller, Jessica Hynes and Richard Ayoade, in addition to all of the returning characters.

“…you would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by this film…”

Speaking of the returning characters, Sally Hawkins’ Mrs Brown once again takes centre stage as the emotional heart of the movie, and Sally Hawkins breathes such life and enthusiasm into the character that even the most cynical of viewers should be won over.  And just like the first film, there’s a pure, honest heart to Paddington 2 which reminds us of the virtues of politeness and kindness, and of looking for the best in people, which is a powerfully moving message in the current political and social climate where simple courtesies are all too frequently forgotten and people look for the worst in those they don’t even know.  And just like the first film, Paddington 2 can also be read as a social commentary, personalising the idea that “immigrants” and others who are outwardly different from us are, in fact, the same as us in all the ways that matter.  Peter Capaldi returns as Mr Curry, personifying the racist prejudices of Daily Mail readers everywhere, as he leaps to conclusions about Paddington and assumes the worst at every opportunity, attempting to turn the whole community against the innocent outsider.

Ultimately, you would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by this film in some way.  Whether you laugh at the humour, cry at the emotion, or do both, this is a film that not only has something to offer absolutely everyone in the family, but which might also do a little to restore your faith in the fundamental decency of people – and in this day and age, that alone has got to be worth the price of a ticket.