For good reason there was reason to give Paddington a dubious look, with curiously awkward teasers and Colin Firth's departure deep into production. But writer/director Paul King (of the surreal British comedy Bunny and the Bull) and Harry Potter producer David Heyman have gone out of their way to enhance our childhood memories of Paddington rather than tarnish them the way so many other nostalgia pieces have done. Speaking of nostalgia, the film kicks off with a black & white serial reel set in darkest Peru where an explorer encounters a species of "civilized" bears. After making their acquaintance and leaving behind his favorite red hat, the explorer promises them a warm welcome if they should ever be in London. But why would a bear ever be in London for a vacation? Years later, a then-unnamed Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) is living a charmed jungle life with his Uncle Pastuzo (Michael Gambon) and Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton), relaxing and eating marmalade by the jarful until an earthquake tragically upends his world. The only thing to do? Take the explorer up on his offer and head to London.
But things are not as welcome as Paddington thought, and here the film begins to split into a few different paths that all mesh gracefully. First there's the silly childish humor as apparently Londoners don't think a talking bear hanging out in train stations is a big deal. In fact they're kind of rude, and here is where Paddington's immigrant story begins. He's a stranger in a strange land, and finding that acceptance is harder to come by than he was led to believe. All of that changes when he meets the quirky Brown clan, who also scoot right on by him initially. The overly cautious patriarch, Henry (Hugh Bonneville), thinks Paddington is a shady salesman but his upbeat wife Mary (Sally Hawkins) is willing to give the bear a shot. Along with their two children Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) and Judy (Madeleine Harris), plus nanny Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters), the Browns welcome Paddington into their home. While the goal is to help Paddington find the explorer, you won't be surprised to learn the family comes to love their furry houseguest despite all of the trouble he causes.And cause trouble he does. King occasionally goes overboard with the amount of messy slapstick humor which has Paddington flying through the air and breaking just about everything in sight. A trip to the bathroom ends in a flood only Noah could appreciate; and common household items are either shoved into waxy ears or destroyed outright. It's the kind of stuff kids will love but adults may grow tired of before long. Fortunately there's a better subplot involving Nicole Kidman's villainous taxidermist who wants to stuff and mount Paddington on her wall (itself quite a visual gag). Kidman hasn't had a role this fun in a while and she makes for a devilishly fun Cruella de Vil-style nemesis. But what makes her so interesting is that she has reason for wanting to make Paddington her latest trophy, and the espionage tactics (think Mission: Impossible) used to get him are always worth a laugh. What doesn't work so well is every scene she shares with Doctor Who himself, Peter Capaldi, who plays a nosy lovestruck neighbor. It feels too separate from the central plots and never really goes anywhere satisfying.
While making the switch to live-action could have proven problematic, Paddington is both wonderfully detailed and visually resplendent. From the moment you see the little bear in action it's impossible not to love him, especially when combined with Whishaw's cooing vocals. A relatively small production budget hasn't prevented King or the visual effects maestros at Framestore from creating a vibrant and stylish world as big as Paddington's heart. The best thing about Paddington, outside of the cast and the belly laughs it delivers, is that it's truly a family film everybody can love. It's uncommonly, unbearable good.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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