Monday, February 16, 2015

Review of PADDINGTON: Ursine Whimsy

February 15, 2015




From the jungles of deepest darkest Peru, British explorer Montgomery Clark discovers a family of special bears who can speak English and loved orange marmalade. He tells the bears that if ever they get to London, he will be more than happy to take them in. One day, after a strong earthquake causes the death of his beloved Uncle, a young bear decides to stowaway on a ship to go to London to find a better life for himself.

In London, a friendly family, the Browns, decide to take him in. They named the bear after the train station they found him in, Paddington. The father Henry is always wary of his family's safety, while the mother Mary is more welcoming and warm. The daughter Judy is a whiz with languages, while the son Jonathan is a genius with mechanical matters. While searching for the elusive Mr. Clark, Paddington crosses paths with Millicent, a sadistic taxidermist who wants to make him a stuffed bear, for more reasons than it would seem.

I only knew Paddington Bear as a piece of childhood trivia. I never really knew him, other than the fact that he was a cute little British teddy bear with a hat and overcoat. I have not read any of the books by Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum, which was first published back in 1958. 

This film was my first formal introduction to this beloved character and I clearly can see why he has endured through the years. He is truly adorable! His childlike innocence is heartwarming and delightful. It is to the credit of Xian Lim, who voiced Paddington in the local release. Lim does not really have a truly distinctive recognizable voice. However, more importantly, he was able to convey the most essential heart and spirit of Paddington. In the original British version, Paddington was voiced by Ben Whishaw. It appears they have a different voice actor per country of release, an interesting publicity gimmick.

Like "Roger Rabbit", "Space Jam" and "Garfield" before it, the animated Paddington here flawlessly interacts with live human actors. "Downton Abbey" actor Hugh Bonneville plays a stern but kind Henry Brown. "Happy Go Lucky" actress Sally Hawkins plays the quirky and happy Mary Brown, she who always wore red. Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin play the two Brown children. Two-time Oscar-nominated actress Julie Walters as plays Mrs. Bird, the loyal housekeeper of the Browns. 

Nicole Kidman plays the cruel Millicent with so much evil relish, it is fun to watch her. Her final scene is hilarious! Other esteemed British actors fill out the other character roles. Jim Broadbent plays Samuel Gruber, friendly antique shop owner. Peter Capaldi plays the Brown's annoying neighbor, Mr. Curry. Imelda Staunton and Michael Gambon provide the voices of Paddington's Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo back in Peru.

Be you a long-time fan or first time viewer, this "Paddington" will endear himself to you. His antics, mishaps and misadventures were so well-executed by director Paul King, who also wrote the script together with Hamish McColl. The timelessness of the story and characters is also reflected in the wonderful production design which incorporated elements from various decades seamlessly. Some moments as the story turns dark can be scary for very young kids so parental guidance is recommended. 

Overall though, be prepared to enjoy and be enthralled this very charming piece of British comedy. You will leave the theater with a smile on your face. You will also want to whip up your own orange marmalade sandwich right away. 9/10.


18 comments:

  1. I must I'm a complete novice on this. Knowing about Paddington from your post is worth while.

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  2. Paddington was my childhood, but if you ask me now, I cant remember much about it.
    Was anticipating this movie but was so busy and later, sick, that I didn't get to catch this movie. Will wait for it to come out in DVD.

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  3. Ahaha in stories this is a fable! Here you go again. Convincing review! Can they make a movie of Lion also being able to speak english? haha Not lion king. Another story. haha This is a great movie. Well you've rated it 9/10. Must be almost perfect!

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  4. I missed this movie on theater on January. I just knew the movie trailer, and it was funny. Thanks for the movie review. I also like Garfield the movies.

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  5. I've heard of how good Paddington is and how touching it is but have yet to watch. I'm always skeptical about animation but somehow, it never fail to surprise me.

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  6. I really want to watch this movie! I loved the trailer, and the movie review is great! Thank you for sharing with us =)

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  7. I missed this movie when I finally have to to watch it was over. I think I will wait for the DVD.

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  8. This is one film that I take for granted, because I thought this just another 'kids' movie. Now I have to search for this one .. Thanks for the good review you have about the film.

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  9. Great movie for the whole family. Will find time to watch this very soon!

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  10. Paddington looks like a family friendly movie. It's nice also to have Xiam Lim be the one to voice Paddington.

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  11. A bear who can speak English and loves marmalade! Interesting. Sounds like a cute movie which will surely entertain and leave a smile on th audiences face.

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  12. Wow, a 9/10 review! I just saw snippets. I turns out that Xiam Lim was a good choice for the role.

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  13. I grew up with Paddington Bear so he's a very familiar part of my life. I'm glad you enjoyed it as some reviews were unfavorable.

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  14. When I went to the U.K. I was amazed to see that the Paddington theme has been turned into a fashion brand itself. The souvenir shops were full of Paddington yellow raincoats, rubber boots, and small souvenir bear toys. That fashion craze would make me watch the movie.

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  15. It seems a GP kind of movie with amazing etch to your heart. Nice to know that you dig all sorts of movie, different concepts. I'll try my best to watch this movie with kids.

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  16. oooh, this looks like a fun movie. but I've heard some really bad reviews about the movie =(

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  17. So cute Paddington bear... totally worth to keep in a must watch list.

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  18. "Paddington" is properly charming, constantly entertaining, and thoroughly well done, and whether you're a long-time admirer of the books or a new comvert, there is no way not to find something to enjoy about this film.

    Marlene
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