Paddington

Paddington

Starring Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Nicole Kidman

Directed by Paul King

The Story:
In the deep jungles of darkest Peru, an explorer uncovers a family of bears that were then unknown to the world.  He shows them hospitality and tells them about London and the amazing people that live there, shows them the joy of marmalade, and then he leaves them be.  Many years later, the bears' young nephew - equipped with the explorer's hat - embarks for London to start a new life in a nice, happy town.

When he arrives, the bear realizes not all is happy and joyous in London, as people ignore him and treat him harshly even though he's being nothing but kind to them.  He's alone at the station when Mary Brown (Sally Hawkins) shows mercy on him, wanting to take him home until they can find a suitable place for the bear to live, despite the pleas from her overprotective husband Henry (Hugh Bonneville).

The bear - named Paddington (Ben Whishaw) after Mary Brown sees the station sign - has trouble fitting in with the family, and technology as a whole (including a severe issue with the bathroom).  Young children Judy (Madeleine Harris) and Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) have differing reactions to Paddington as well: Judy is worried he'll be an embarrassment to her, while Jonathan sees him as a friend and playmate.  Paddington tells the family of the explorer, and thinks that he will be able to find him a suitable home.

Meanwhile, museum taxidermist Millicent Clyde (Nicole Kidman) hears word of Paddington's arrival, and desires to find the bear so she can stuff him and showcase him at the museum as a monument to her late father's work.  She embarks on her own journey to find Paddington, while he adjusts to living with the Browns - and they adjust to him - and learns the true meaning of family.

The Synopsis:
On Christmas Eve in 1956, Michael Bond saw a lonely teddy bear sitting on a shelf near Paddington Station, and buys it for his wife as a Christmas gift.  It's this bear that gave him the inspiration to create Paddington, the most beloved children's character in Britain for over sixty years, and when it came time to make a feature-length film, everyone was nervous about it: would the film do the character justice, or resort him to a lesser version of himself?  Thankfully, the film captured all the joy and charm that filled the pages of the long-running series, a film that brought Bond's daughter to tears because "it was bringing life to the bear that was so real to me.  And I think they got it absolutely right."

For me, the family friendly films are the ones I tend to shy away from the most, because I feel they'd be too dumbed down to be fully appreciated for someone like me - who doesn't have little kids.  So when I just watched the first "Paddington," I found myself laughing and smiling like I was a child again myself: it perfectly blended youthful humor with adult sophistication that made it a joy for someone like myself to see.

The film is a beautiful piece of cinema from start to finish, thanks in large part to the stunning cinematography and CGI work.  Paddington looks almost real, each hair meticulously crafted in a way that it seamlessly blends with the live-action going on around him, giving him in-depth facial expressions that perfectly emotes his emotions (especially a particularly "uncomfortable" scene between Paddington and Mr. Brown, when Paddington gives him an unnerving glare and tells him that's the glare his aunt taught him to give to someone who's being naughty).  The set designs were beautifully vivid and colorful, and there was some awe-inspiring filming work done.  In the attic, there's a dollhouse that opens and we see the family living in it through Paddington's eyes, each room having a different color scheme and theme to it, and fully developing each character in a way that makes them more than just one-dimensional.

The actors are at the top of their game, especially given that it's a family friendly film, they could've phoned in their performances, but they didn't.  This is mostly due to the fact that the majority of the cast are British and grew up with Paddington, and wanted to show the beloved character the honor he deserved.  Hugh Bonneville played the stern and worrisome father as any famed actor could do.  Sally Hawkins has a natural look about her that matches her character so well - both are very inquisitive and see the world with wide-eyed wonder.  Other famed British actors Imelda Staunton, Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent own their characters as well, and young Ben Wishaw gives Paddington's voice a certain innocence and charm that would've been lessened if it was done by someone else (originally, Colin Firth was set to voice the bear, but decided against it because his voice would be too polished and old).

When it came to casting the villain, Nicole Kidman surprised even her agent when she readily agreed to star, because she too grew up with Paddington (despite living in Australia), and always desired for Paddington to live at her home when she was a child.  She plays Millicent with gleeful evil, over-the-top and absolutely perfect for a role of this kind.

Ultimately, you've got all the perfect pieces to craft not just a family friendly film, but a pitch-perfect family friendly film: superb actors, stunning cinematography, a heartwarming story, and excellent computer designed graphics that speak to the hearts of adults as well as children.

The Summary:
While other films tend to dumb down their source material, "Paddington" embraced its origins and created a film that's fun for the whole family - or a family of one - and shows the true meaning of the word "family" through humorous antics and heartfelt performances.

The Score: A+