PADDINGTON 2
WHEN TANGLED UNIVERSES,
complex mythologies and dystopian malaise are
still the running trend in sequels, it’s a breath
of fresh air that the plot of Paddington 2 is, in
essence: Paddington tries to buy a nice birthday
present and it goes wrong. It goes wrong
rather drastically, but it’s still a pleasingly
straightforward plot. This splendid sequel, much
like the fi rst one, proves you can make a brilliant
fi lm by just doing simple things very, very well.
The world of Paddington is much as we
left it. It’s London, but a version far removed
from reality, where even newsagents live in
multi-million-pound Georgian villas — as
fantastical a notion as a talking bear. It’s now,
but not. People use cassette tapes, steam trains
pootle past in the background, everyone has a
landline, yet kids wear Kanye-esque shutter
shades and T-shirts with LCD panels, and a main
character works in The Shard. It’s a time that’snever been; a very subtle form of fantasy. There,
Paddington (voiced by Whishaw) lives with the
Brown family, beloved by all. When he sets his
heart on buying his elderly aunt a pop-up book,
which is beyond his budget, he has to save up.
Just a day away from earning enough, the book is
stolen. In trying to apprehend the thief,
Paddington is arrested as a suspect, sent to jail and
the Brown family have to fi ght to clear his name.
Paul King should be forbidden from ever
passing the series to another director because
he has such a well-tuned sense of Paddington’s
tone. It’s cute, but not twee. It’s for all ages,
but jokes aren’t divided into kid-friendly
and ‘for the grown-ups’. It mostly makes fun
of circumstances, not people. There’s so much
warmth to it and not a hint of cruelty. There are
wonderful sequences of physical comedy, with
Paddington like an ursine Charlie Chaplin,
messing up a haircut, washing windows withDIRECTORPaul King
CAST Ben Whishaw, Sally Hawkins,
Hugh Bonneville, Hugh Grant,
Brendan Gleeson, Julie WaltersPLOT Paddington (voiced by Whishaw) wants to
buy his Aunt Lucy a unique pop-up book for her
100th birthday. But before he can save enough
money, the book is stolen. Then, as he tries to
retrieve the missing item, he’s framed for the
theft and sent to prison — not exactly the
marmalade-loving bear’s natural habitat.OUT 21 DECEMBER
RATED G / 95 MINS
★★★★★