Just what we need, another cute kids’ movie about a lovable, talking animal. Children can’t seem to get enough of these movies, despite how dreadfully awful they usually are, by most adults’ standards. Spy on parents some time while they treat their little ones to these chatty creature films and you’re likely to find most of them struggling to grin and bear the experience. Yeah. See what I did there?
Normally, you’d be hard pressed to find me caught anywhere near one of these movies. There are, of course, always those rare exceptions that lead you to eat that bitter N word… “never.” This is why I try and never say never about a film, unless its in the title. PADDINGTON (2014) is a family-friendly film, and by that I mean its friendly for the entire family, children and adults. The film is based upon the beloved books by author Michael Bond, who wrote his first Paddington piece n 1958, inspired by the childrens programs he worked on for the BBC at the time.
I will be honest. When I first heard about the new PADDINGTON movie, what went through my head was the cliched assumption that they’ve yet again — or, still — run out of original ideas. This ended up being an unfair assumption about a movie that works surprisingly well. The reason for the film working out this well is simple. PADDINGTON is written and directed by the same person — always a promising sign — and that person is Paul King. For the coolest of our readers, you’ll likely know this name as the director of the quirky British series The Mighty Boosh (2004-2007). For a show recognized as possibly being created while on acid, and could be described as the love child of Wes Anderson and Pee Wee Herman, parents may be alarmed to learn it eventually led a feature-length PADDINGTON film. Fear not. The only addictive substance being consumed here is freshly made marmalade.
Those familiar with The Might Boosh will notice the little influences of this style from the very beginning, as PADDINGTON opens with an old newsreel about an explorer named Montgomery Clyde, who ventured out into “Darkest Peru,” where he stumbled upon a rare species of highly intelligent bears. Befriended a young bear cub (Paddington), his Aunt Lucy (voiced by Imelda Staunton) and Uncle Pastuzo (voiced by Michael Gambon), Montgomery Clyde left more of an impression on the bears that he could have ever imagined. Fast forward several years, and natural disaster in Darkest Peru has Aunt Lucy sending Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) off to London to find a nice family to take him in and raise him as their own. London is about to host its first ever talking bear, and with him all of his accompanying adventures.
The Brown family are an average lot, but display a familiar hint of dysfunction. Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville) is a work-aholic risk analyst with a tendency towards OCD, while Mrs. Brown (Sally Hawkins) is a loving, free-spirited illustrator of childrens stories. Judy Brown (Madeleine Harris) is a typical angst-ridden teenage girl and Jonathan Brown (Samuel Joslin) is a curious, adventurous adolescent boy. One day, the Browns happen upon a young talking bear whilst walking through Paddington Station, hence the origin of the title character’s human name. His bear name becomes one of a handful of low-key running jokes that are sprinkled delightfully throughout the film. Under pressure from Mrs. Brown and Jonathan, Mr. Brown caves and Paddington finds himself the newest addition to the Brown family.
As Paddington assimilates into his new family, he must also avoid the fiendishly obsessed desires of Millicent, the villainous taxidermist set upon capturing Paddington and adding him to her personal collection of permanently preserved wildlife specimens. Millicent, played by Nicole Kidman, is portrayed as a more modern Cruella Deville. Kidman relies heavily on textbook villain tactics, providing an acceptable but minimally impressive performance. Even her name Millicent is strangely similar to Maleficent, and despite being a family film, she offers little in the way of believable danger. As for the remainder of the supporting cast, here lies one treat after another. Mrs. Bird (played by Julie Walters) is a tough, but oddly grounding force within the Brown household. Mr. Gruber (played by Jim Broadbent) is a funny old survivor who helps Paddington find what he’s seeking. Mr. Curry (played by Dr. Who‘s Peter Capaldi) serves as a sort of sub-villain turned anti-hero and strange neighbor to the Browns.
PADDINGTON exploits modern computer technology to bring the talking, accident-prone bear to life. Even ten years ago, it’s unlikely this film could have succeeded on any respectably mature level. Its this technical mastery that adds half of the character’s charm, from his appearance to his mannerisms to numerous sight gags, but the other half is courtesy of Paul King’s playfully odd sense of humor. Subtle puns, plays on words, silly observations and misunderstandings, these are all tools in King’s box of tricks that are used to give the film its well-rounded appeal. On many levels, I could stretch my analysis and call PADDINGTON an analogy for immigration and society’s difficulty in accepting change and the arrival of outside influences. There is definitely a correlation there, but I’ll let you read into that as much or as little as you feel comfortably inclined.
Visually, PADDINGTON is thoroughly engaging, filled with action, visual gags and no shortage of hijinks put innocently into play by the well-meaning Peruvian bear cub, struggling to adapt and find his place in a foreign land. The 95-minute running time falls nicely between being too long and feeling rushed. With all this said, there is still clearly the element of filmmaking for kids, which is only to be expected. Fortunately, these elements are well incorporated and never overwhelmingly present. Combine this with a vivid color palette and you have a film that should do remarkably well with boys and girls alike.
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
