Paddington

By: Anton Massopust III

“Just because Paddington is a bear and comes from the other side of the world does not make him family. We love Paddington, and that makes him family.”

Who loves marmalade, wears a blue coat and a red explorer’s hat, and was named after Paddington Train Station? Of course, it’s Paddington Bear! Paddington has lived on and off in Peru, but after an earthquake destroyed his home, he is sent to London, England, in order to find a family to live within a forever home. When the Brown family finds him, Mr. Brown is not too keen on giving Paddington a home, but Mrs. Brown feels that they should try their best to help him. Paddington is looking for the explorer that gave his uncle his hat so that he can prove to the Brown family that he is not lying about his origins. As

Paddington’s adventures begin, the Brown family realize that he is more a part of their family than they expect.

Enter the villain. Nicole Kidman plays a taxidermist who is eager to find Paddington in order to turn him into a permanent display in the London Museum. A nosy neighbor, Mr. Curry, is lending her a hand – he is played by Dr. Who’s Peter Capaldi.

Is PADDINGTON a good movie to take your kids to? Absolutely! The special effects lend a realism to both the live and animated characters and work flawlessly for this film. Hugh Bonneville plays Mr. Brown, and he is a great comic foil to Paddington’s character. The rest of the supporting cast, especially the Brown family are terrific. The cinematography has to be seen to believed – think of GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL or THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX. I already mentioned Nicole Kidman and Peter Capaldi, and I do hope to see more of them in a sequel. If you are not familiar with Paddington, it was an animated series by Peter Eustinoff and of course, look up the Paddington Bear books. This film talks about immigration and acceptance, and even though someone is a little strange or different, perhaps we can work to understand them, and even love them. And then it would be a merrier world, wouldn’t it?