Max The Unicorn: Movie Review: PADDINGTON 2

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Movie Review: PADDINGTON 2

Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington
Director: Paul King
Genre: Family/Adventure
Rating: G
Australian Release Date: 21/12/2017

I was lucky enough to win a family pass to an Advance Screening of PADDINGTON 2, pretty exciting given how amazing the first movie was! This was one of the movies that Mr 10 and I both wanted to see, so I was entering all the competitions I could, and it paid off. The first movie was delightful from start to finish; I reviewed it back in 2014 when it came out and you can check out my PADDINGTON review here.

If you're going to see Paddington 2, I'd recommend watching Paddington first, because it's brilliant and you'll have a better appreciation for the sequel. But even if you haven't seen the first flick, you'll have no trouble understanding Paddington 2.

Here's the official synopsis:
The much-anticipated sequel to the worldwide hit family film finds Paddington happily settled with the Brown family in Windsor Gardens, where he has become a popular member of the community, spreading joy and marmalade wherever he goes. While searching for the perfect present for his beloved Aunt Lucy’s hundredth birthday, Paddington spots a unique pop-up book in Mr. Gruber’s antique shop and embarks upon a series of odd jobs to buy it. But when the book is stolen, it’s up to Paddington and the Browns to unmask the thief.

I found this movie to be just as captivating as the first one. Paddington Bear is charming as usual, and the movie looks beautiful, from start to finish. It's also very funny! From a kid's perspective, the story is straightforward and easy to follow and the 'sad bits' are kept to a 'bear' minimum (sorry, couldn't help myself). This is a perfect blend of live action and CGI animation; Paddington looks very real and very cute. He's so easy to fall in love with, and you end up really wanting things to work out for him. This is a bear who is decent and kind-hearted, with really good manners. Hugh Grant is quite entertaining in his over-the-top role as Phoenix Buchanan, Hugh Bonneville seems to have gotten himself into shape since the first movie (which I immediately noticed, lol) and I have to say, watching Sally Hawkins in this makes me want to finally see her acclaimed film, Happy-Go-Lucky. We took my son and his friend along and they both really enjoyed Paddington 2. With the school holidays approaching, put this one on your list of movies to take the kids to. It's a feel-good adventure the whole family will appreciate and I highly recommend it!

Fun Fact: Hugh Bonneville, who plays Henry Brown, was born in Paddington, UK!