Paddington 2

Paddington 2

Starring Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Grant

Directed by Paul King

The Story:
Having settled in with the Browns, Peruvian bear Paddington (Ben Whishaw) is now a pillar of the community, helping out the community in many different ways and generally making the world a better place.  With his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) about to turn 100, he wants to buy her the perfect birthday gift, and finds it in a special pop-up book of London - since she's always dreamed of visiting, this is the next best thing.

But then the book is stolen by former actor Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant), who has a nefarious purpose for the book in order to give him wealth, and Paddington is framed for the robbery.  He's sent to prison where he turns the drab, dreary place into a more happy location after befriending the prison cook Knuckles McGinty (Brendan Gleeson) after introducing him to wonderful marmalade.  Meanwhile, on the outside, Henry (Hugh Bonneville), Mary (Sally Hawkins), Judy (Madeleine Harris), Jonathan (Samuel Joslin), and maid Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters) set out to prove Paddington's innocence, and find the real culprit.

The Synopsis:
The original "Paddington" emerged as a huge hit for families and single people alike, due to its truly heartfelt nature and upbeat message, blending a heartwarming story with silly slapstick humor and vividly beautiful CGI effects.  While a sequel often muddies the story and makes the characters more lazy and predictable, "Paddington 2" was a refreshing breath of fresh air as it continued the story of the young bear and his loving family in a way that wasn't padded or forced - but as a natural continuation of his tale.

It became the highest rated film on Rotten Tomatoes (sitting at a perfect 100%), and there's no surprise why - it brought out the magic and emotion in a way that brings a smile to your face and gives you hope in humanity again...even though that "human" is a lovable bear.  Paddington goes through the film with a continually upbeat attitude despite being stuck in the most forlorn of circumstances, and even though it may come across to some as naivety, it's actually a positive mantra to live by - "if we're kind and polite, the world will be right."  Sure, it's not necessarily true, but since life is mostly how we take it, if we are polite and kind to others, we feel better on the inside for it.

The slapstick is back and better than ever, as Paddington tries to buy the book for his aunt by trying to get a job, resulting in hilarity at every turn - whether it be as a hair sweeper at a barber shop or window washer, Paddington always finds ways to delightfully muddy up the place in a wholly unintentional manner.  Even though it's one of these events that lead to his imprisonment, you can't help but feel love for the bear who's just trying to buy his aunt the perfect birthday gift.

The actors all return from the original, at somewhat diminished capacities.  Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins keep their roles front and center, along with the delightful Julie Walters as the no-holds-barred maid ("you don't bring a sword to a gunfight"), but their children are mostly relegated to the background this go-around to focus more on Paddington and his newfound prison friends.  As the voice of Paddington, Ben Whishaw again gives the beloved bear a sense of wonder and heart, giving him a soft tone in a world that's otherwise screaming.

New to the franchise is two established actors who both give grand performances.  Brendan Gleeson plays the mean prison cook Knuckles, who is feared by the other inmates and whose cooking is never criticized - until Paddington speaks up in a very innocent fashion.  When Knuckles is about to beat Paddington to a pulp, he tastes the marmalade sandwich Paddington always keeps in his hat, and it turns the gruff man to a friend who brings Paddington in to help make the prison a better place by making more marmalade sandwiches.

In the first film, Nicole Kidman gleefully over performed her villain to hilariously absurd proportions, and here it's Hugh Grant's turn to take his villain to new heights of absurdity in a way that's endearing and humorous.  As a former actor, he sets out to get the book that Paddington desires because he thinks there's clues in there to a vast fortune, and it's a great way to get out of doing dog food commercials and make himself an established actor again.  A master of disguise, Phoenix travels the landmarks of London to find the clues from the book in a vast array of disguises (most notably "an unusually attractive nun" as described by a security guard) that reminds you of the classic villain antics of olden Hollywood days.  You can tell Grant absolutely loved his role, and even though he's the bad guy, we can't help but love him as well.

Ultimately, the true heart of the film lies with Paddington's desire to find his aunt the perfect gift because, as he said, "you only turn 100 once."  He wants to find the gift because his aunt did so much for him as a cub, and he wants to show his true appreciation for her, and when he finds the book, he thinks he's found the perfect gift.  While the CGI for Paddington is again spot-on, it's the adventure he takes in his mind as he goes through the pop-up book that's truly beautiful.  He imagines taking his aunt to all the landmarks in London and it's told visually through the pop-up book, where everyone is a cardboard cutout except Paddington and his aunt, and it's a visually stunning segment in the story.  The whole journey for Paddington ends in a deeply emotional moment that brought a tear to my eye, not in a forced way, but a deeply organic way that was refreshing and natural.

The Summary:
Proving lighting can strike twice, "Paddington 2" is every part as perfect as the original, with a heartfelt story, beautiful cinematography, and memorable acting that proves if we are kind and polite, the world will be right...again.

The Score: A+