I think everyone can agree that the first Paddington movie was not only a fitting retelling of Michael Bond’s beloved children’s character, but was a fantastic example of what you can do with a family film when you find a near-perfect balance of adorable whimsy and genuine humour. However, proving that you can’t keep a marmalade fueled Peruvian bear down, we only had to wait three years for director Paul King to try and best his near-perfect first attempt.
While sequels that top their originals aren’t as rare as they once were, it would still seem exceedingly strange to lump a small, endlessly innocent, duffle coated bear in with the likes of Aliens, The Godfather Part II and Captain America: The Winter Soldier; however, that’s exactly what Paddington 2 manges to achieve in every single conceivable way. Prepare to find yourself sandwiched between the most beguiling prison film you’ve ever seen and relentlessly charming family film that penetrates the feels in a way more direct and startling than a particularly hard stare.
After being accepted as a member of the Brown family, Paddington Bear has settled in nicely in Windsor Gardens, effortlessly enriching and enhancing the lives of everyone he comes in regular contact with (with the exception of the continuously hateful Mr. Curry). However, with the approach of his Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday, Paddington becomes obsessed with the idea of getting a fitting present for the old bear that raised him and figures the perfect gift is an old pop-up book of London found in Gruber’s Antique Shop. However, while the diligent little fella sets about earning cash to buy it by going into business as a window cleaner, it turns out that the pop-up book isn’t all that it seems.
Enter washed-up actor Phoenix Buchanan, who has grown tired of resorting to dog food commercials to pay the bills and needs a substantial amount of poor to finance the one-man show he is desperate to mount to match his monstrous ego. Through a family legend, Phoenix has discovered that the pop-up book contains numerous, disguised clues to a batch of hidden treasure that can only be located once a mysterious code has been compiled and decoded and so he uses his talent for disguise to steal the book and avoid the authorities. In fact, he avoids them so well, that an on-the-scene Paddington takes the rap for the theft, is arrested, bizarrely tried as a human adult and sentenced to ten years in prison.
It seems that matters couldn’t be more dire for the plucky little bear, but after facing a prison full of hardened criminals armed with only his innocent nature and a well placed marmalade sandwich, he soon makes an uneasy, ally in the grumpy Knuckles McGinty. But while he endears himself to a prison full of inmates and the Browns scramble to clear his name, who will stop the criminal career of Phoenix Buchanan before he becomes utterly unbearable – pun intended.
Now, I’m not saying that Paddington 1 was some kind of cinematic slouch – with its Wes Anderson meets English eccentric tone and a defy hand in Chaplin-esque physical comedy it was truly heart warming experience that also have a few, important words to say about the immigration experience that sat organically as you’re heart practically melted every time Paddington’s ruthlessly adorable butt was on screen. However, in a sequel that feels positively Spider-Man 2-ish in its expansion, Paul King delivers a superior follow up that not only improves on a film that didn’t need much improving, but somehow feels even more confident and assured when delivering its goods. In fact, strangely, the Spider-Man comparison proves to be way more apt than you’d think when you line up some of their narrative vital statistics – both are wide-eyed orphans raised by someone they call their aunt; both witnessed the tragic death of their hugely supportive uncle; both moved to the big city to ultimately tirelessly help the population and make their lives better just by being present; and both a relentlessly good, kind people who bounce back despite the world and overacting villains metaphorically crapping on them during every single adventure. However, the biggest similarity is that – much like Sam Raimi’s sequel – King’s increased assurance means that Paddington 2 is legitimately on of the best movies of its kind.
In some cases the filmmaking decisions are subtle. The importance of the Brown children is altered slightly to still give them relevance, but takes them out of the main thrust of the story while the use of Hugh Bonneville’s Henry and Sally Hawkins’ Mary allow them to have a bit more fun, especially during the bonkers, train set climax (another tie to Spidey 2, perhaps). However, the main improvements come from delivering a more central plot that more action/thriller based that somehow doesn’t violate the quaint world that Michael Bond originally created. Despite frantic chases and a prison break, the film suddenly try to pander to a more contemporary tone and try and have Paddington wear shades and glug Monster energy drink while kick-flipping a skateboard.
In fact, the movie doesn’t even include a single mobile phone as far as I can see, but the Aardman style of dedication of delivering knuckle whitening action sequences that don’t rely on cheap bombast is measured perfectly.
But even better yet, the film offers up a cheif antagonist that blows Nicole Kidman’s glacial taxidermist clean out of the water. In an act of a magnificent ditching of ego, Hugh Grant’s pompous (possibly schizophrenic) actor proves to be one one the most relentlessly entertaining villains of recent times, willing to ruthlessly send himself up while repeatedly making an absolute tit of himself. But whether he’s breaking into St Paul’s Cathedral dressed as a nun, or engaging in a full, Busby Berkeley dance routine, Grant ensures it works by grabbing the lunacy by its lapels and fully investing in it like his life depends upon it with dazzling results.
However, the cream of the crop proves to be the bulk of the film that sees Ben Wishaw’s irrepressible bear have to survive the pressures of prison after being framed. Now while we’re spared the sight of our young hero having to fashion himself a “tool”, or endure a sad, Morgan Freeman voice over informing us that he was unable to fight off more undesirable inmates (The Pawshank Redemption, anyone?), the plot not only delves into the first film’s political mind, this time concerning prison reform (no, really), nut watching a short, wide-eyed, innocent, CGI bear gradually endear himself to hardened (for a kids film) crooks is unbelievable fun. In fact, glance at anyone with suspicion who doesn’t giggle like a child at Paddington accidently dying the prison uniforms pink, or naively give cooking tips to Brendon Gleeson’s fiercesome Knuckles.
Funnier, smarter and sweeter in absolutely every way, Paddington 2 once again does justice to a classic children’s character without resorting to the bizarre, meta mishandling that’s afflicted other cuddly household names (I don’t think anyone truly wants a Paddington: Blood And Marmalade in their future. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll hunger for marmalade – and most of all, love somehow love Paddington even more – which is something I thought was practically impossible.
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