Title: Paddington
Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Nicole Kidman, Julie Walters, Peter Capaldi and Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington.
Synopsis: Fresh from the cinema, Paul King’s vivid reimagining of Michael Bond’s beloved marmalade-munching bear is a frivolously fun treat for all the family. Leaving his origins in Darkest Peru, a young bear goes off on an adventure to find a home in London – guided by an English Explorer’s time-honoured promise that people (and bears) would always be welcome in the capital city. However, the atmosphere is not quite as stranger-friendly and polite as the young bear had anticipated; London has become a hub of busy-bodies all quickly hustling to their own destinations without a thought for who they pass by. In amongst the crowd though, The Brown family encounter the lone bear and after giving him the name Paddington (after the station in which they found him), take him in for the night and attempt to help him find the Explorer that had promised him a home. Chaos (and Marmalade) are rife of course, as Paddington’s curiosity into the customs of London-folk get the better of him – much to the distress of Hugh Bonneville’s safety-conscious Mr Brown. And as if that wasn’t troublesome enough, a merciless taxidermist (Kidman) plots to capture and stuff him too! Funny, quirky, undeniably heartwarming – and with a perfect cast to boot – Paddington is a film for people of all ages to enjoy.
Watch if you liked: The Mighty Boosh and Bunny and The Bull (director Paul King’s most notable other works that share Paddington‘s distinct oddball humour/aesthetic) or other recent family films that mix live-action with animation like Hop, Garfield, The Lego Movie, Scooby Doo and The Smurfs.
Rating: 10/10 – a film that is both lusciously warm and incredibly gigglesome.
Words by Annie