“Attention all units: An unusually attractive nun is causing mayhem in the cathedral dome. Activate emergency protocol. Stop that stunning sister!”
It’s rare for a sequel to outshine its predecessor, but 2018’s PADDINGTON 2 succeeded admirably. This Friday, June 26th, PADDINGTON 2 will play mornings for a week at The Galleria Cinema in St. Louis (30 St Louis Galleria St, Richmond Heights, MO 63117) For more info and showtimes, go HERE
PADDINGTON 2 was my favorite film of 1918. Read my complete review HERE
It’s rare for a sequel to outshine its predecessor, but PADDINGTON 2 succeeds admirably. The loveable bear with the blue duffel coat and red hat returns to the big screen in a funny, charming, and occasionally emotional adventure that gives audiences more of what they loved in the first installment…and then some. 2018 has begun well.
PADDINGTON 2 opens with a brief prologue showing baby Paddington rescued by his bear Uncle Pastuzo (Michael Gambon) and bear Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton), who permanently postpone a visit to London to take care of him. Jump ahead a couple of decades and Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) is now a permanent resident of Windsor Gardens in London with his adopted family, the Browns (Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, and Samuel Joslin – all returning from the 2014 original). The bear is searching for the perfect gift for cherished Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday and finds it in the form of a unique pop-up book of London’s landmarks at an antique store run by Mr Gruber (Jim Broadbent). But the book is pricey, so Paddington gets a job cleaning windows in the neighborhood, but soon finds himself framed for breaking and entering the store and stealing the book. The real thief is the crafty Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant), a former stage star reduced to acting in dog food commercials who has his own, greedier designs on that book which he’s discovered houses a treasure map. This leaves the Brown family to try and clear Paddington’s name while the poor bear attempts to adjust to life in prison.
On every level, PADDINGTON 2 is a remarkable work – far ahead of any (mostly) live-action family movie in recent memory. The cast is a who’s who of British thesps and all seem to be having a swell time: Hugh Bonneville is a doting dad who worries too much while Sally Hawkins is his sweet-natured wife, training to swim the English Channel. The background is peppered with folks like Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Joanna Lumley, and Peter Capaldi as Mr. Curry, back on his one-man quest to rid the streets of Paddington. Tom Conti shines in one of the funniest slapstick scenes as a judge who’s the victim of Paddington’s first go as a barber and he’s brought back for a couple of punch lines. But it’s the film’s two major new characters that really kick PADDINGTON 2 into high gear. Hugh Grant as Phoenix handily steals every scene he’s in. Whether hawking “Harley’s Gourmet Doggy Din-Dins” or reacting with shock when he realizes he has left home without his favorite ascot, Grant shows comic chops I didn’t know he had. My favorite is Brendan Gleeson who displays brilliant comic timing as Knuckles McGinty, the feared prison chef who bonds with Paddington over their shared love of all things marmalade.
PADDINGTON 2 offers a continuous stream of visual inventiveness, with a palette of bright paint-box colors and clever gadgets (the briefcase Paddington always carries contains nothing but an extending ladder which continually comes in handy). The prison sequences are priceless, eye-popping highlights, with pipes used for secret talks, an escape by a hot air balloon made of tablecloths, and a single red sock that dyes the prisoner’s uniforms pink. Unlike so many movies made “for kids,” PADDINGTON 2 has nothing in the way of gags related to bodily fluids, kid-friendly cussing, or rude behavior (even in prison!), yet it’s funnier than any film I saw last year. It takes a certain level of maturity to maintain this level of sweetness and the scriptwriters deserve a gold star for good behavior. If PADDINGTON 2 had been released a month ago, it would easily have made my list of last year’s best. It’s wonderful.
Following the worldwide hit “Paddington,” one of the most successful family films of all time, this much-anticipated sequel finds Paddington (Ben Whishaw) happily settled with the Brown family in London, where he has become a popular member of the local community, spreading joy and marmalade wherever he goes.
While searching for the perfect present for his beloved Aunt Lucy’s hundredth birthday, Paddington sees 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.
Reuniting many of the original film’s cast while welcoming those in new roles, PADDINGTON 2 stars Golden Globe nominee Hugh Bonneville (“Downton Abbey”), Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (“Blue Jasmine”), three-time Golden Globe nominee Brendan Gleeson (“The Guard,” “Into the Storm,” “In Bruges”), Oscar nominee Julie Walters (“Billy Elliot,” “Educating Rita”), Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (“Iris”), and Oscar winner Peter Capaldi (short, “Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life”), with Golden Globe and BAFTA Award winner Hugh Grant (“Four Weddings and a Funeral”), and BAFTA winner Ben Whishaw (“The Hollow Crown”) as the voice of Paddington. The starring ensemble also includes Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, and Oscar nominee Imelda Staunton (“Vera Drake”) as the voice of Aunt Lucy.
Paddington’s return to the big screen was again helmed by BAFTA-nominated director Paul King (“Paddington,” “Come Fly with Me,” “The Mighty Boosh”) from a script written by King and Simon Farnaby (Sky TV’s “Yonderland,” “Mindhorn”), based on the best-selling and internationally adored books by Michael Bond, creator of Paddington Bear. The score is composed by Academy Award winner Dario Marianelli (“Atonement”).
Ready to win a Family Four-pack of passes and be the first to see PADDINGTON 2 in St Louis??!!
WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win FOUR (4) seats to the advance screening of PADDINGTON 2 on Saturday, January 6th at 10:00am in the St. Louis area.
Question: Paddington Bear arrived at Paddington Station from __________ _____.
ENTER YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
3. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house.
“Paddington 2 something to treasure rather than just to entertain,” writes Wendy Ide of The Guardian in her review of the sequel. And now Warner Bros. Pictures will usher in the new year with the big-screen return of one of the world’s most beloved characters in a delightful new adventure.
Following its overwhelmingly successful UK opening earlier this month and currently #1 at the UK box office, “Paddington 2”—fully financed by STUDIOCANAL and produced by multi award-winning producer David Heyman (the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” films, “Paddington,” “Gravity”)—is set to debut in theatres across North America on January 12, 2018.
The Studio has acquired distribution rights for the film in the U.S. and Canada from STUDIOCANAL and TWC/Dimension Films, it was jointly announced today by STUDIOCANAL, Sue Kroll, President of Worldwide Marketing and Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Content Officer, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.
“Paddington 2” continues the story of the enduringly popular little bear in the trademark blue coat and red hat that touched audiences worldwide. It opened November 10th in the UK to enthusiastic audiences and universally positive reviews, outpacing its predecessor’s opening weekend numbers by over 60%.
Based on the best-selling and internationally adored series of children’s stories by Michael Bond, the film is once again directed by BAFTA nominee Paul King, from a script by King and Simon Farnaby.
Golden Globe and BAFTA winner Hugh Grant and three-time Golden Globe nominee Brendan Gleeson join the all-star returning cast of Golden Globe nominee Hugh Bonneville, Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins, Oscar nominee Julie Walters, Oscar winner Jim Broadbent, Oscar winner Peter Capaldi, Madeleine Harris, and Samuel Joslin, with BAFTA winner Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington and Oscar nominee Imelda Staunton as the voice of Aunt Lucy.
The new story 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.
