Paddington 2

2018 "It takes a bear to catch a thief"
7.8| 1h44m| PG| en
Details

Paddington, now happily settled with the Browns, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy, but it is stolen.

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Actuakers One of my all time favorites.
GazerRise Fantastic!
Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews
Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
anapalmathsberry-91854 Few years ago i watched i watched the first one at the movies,i was happy to find padington 2 on prime. the movie is full of exitement! i did like the first paddington movie better,but if you liked the other one then im sure you like this one too! i hope they do a number 3.
James From the outset, this second Paddington outing from Paul King had to resemble its predecessor in offering something for those who read Michael Bond's books as they were coming out - or soon after, and that means from the late 1950s onwards; as well as for kids who might well believe the beloved character is confined to screens large and small. One immediately visible, mystical and quite fantastic way in which this is achieved is through sets and scenes that are surprisingly timeless. While Mr Brown (again played by Hugh Bonneville) works in an office in The Shard (completed 2012), Paddington's more regular haunts in Notting Hill (well, where else could it be really?) and the Portobello Road regularly give the impression of being "some years ago", and in this way play surprisingly faithful homage to Peggy Fortnum's illustrations in the books, which are somewhat impressionistic, but definitely "from back then". This is artistic stuff of a high order, and - as always in the past - London is magically capable of achieving this mix of eras, just as it mixes everything else you can think of; and the film makes no secret of its adoration for the great capital city. In line with that, the piece is avowedly pro-immigration, doing everything in its power to convince us that London-ness and Britishness are strong enough to encompass and welcome and gently tweak habits from every other conceivable country and culture without its own magic being diluted or lost in the process. It's a quite persuasive and beautiful case, even if the most powerful scene here (for adults at least) is a "pop-up book come to life" that wondrously and movingly takes us back to an earlier, still obviously cosmopolitan but slightly less multi-culti version of the city. The effect is quite spellbinding.Obviously, Paddington's capacity to get into scrapes that are nothing too serious, but nevertheless convey a hint of menace (often helped along by "Mr Curry" - as here played by Peter Capaldi) and chaos and momentary "lost-ness" are drawn out from the original books in a fine way here, and are mostly funny; though there is perhaps slightly less to laugh at here (in an unforced way) than in "Paddington 1".The barber's shop scene nevertheless stands out for its joyous inventiveness, as does Paddington busy cleaning windows...A more serious (potential) problem for adult viewers will be the tendency for certain actors here to move in the direction of cliche. This is doubtless a necessary step to keep younger viewers on board, but while some see the Hugh Grant villain role here as "the actor sending himself up"; for me this hardly works. Brendan Gleeson as a prisoner (dressed a la 1930s???) also seems like pastiche, as does Tom Conti as a senior judge. For me at least more joy is to be had with Jim Broadbent reprising his role as Mr Gruber - whose memories presumably (now magically-incongrously) extend back to Wartime Central Europe, and allow the actor to give a wonderful performance in which tragedy is somehow tangible beneath a warm and kindly surface - this is clever stuff indeed given how few lines the actor actually gets. Julie Walters as Mrs Bird says even less - and sadly represents a wasted opportunity, while Sally Hawkins is likewise underused (though sometimes fun) as Mrs Brown. Punching above his weight, in contrast, is Sanjeev Bhaskar in his classy and in fact meaningful role as Dr Jafri.No film for all the family is going to succeed without making some compromises, but there is not doubt at all that "Paddington 2" does what it takes to woo adults with both its contemporary style and ability to provoke nostalgia. However, this owes more to the animated star of the show, and to magnificent scene-setting, than it does to acting ... or in fact storytelling.But that's alright!
jadepietro GRADE: B THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.IN BRIEF: Beary charming.JIM'S REVIEW: Paddington 2 is wonderful family fare. This sequel, solidly directed again by Paul King, still loses its way a bit in its contemporary updating, but it has enough visuals to continually delight. Spirited sight gags and slapstick moments are aplenty. The CGI is consistently strong and the voiceover work by Ben Whishaw is superb in its childlike wondrous vocal tones as our furry idealist. The animation, a mix of stop motion, computer generated, and hand-drawn renderings, is impressive. (Perhaps the film's highlight involved Paddington's imaginative journey in a pop-up book world that is stunningly conceived and executed. The cinematography by Erik Wilson flows with its aerial views and kinetic lensing. Gary Williamson's production direction, very reminiscent of Wes Anderson's The Great Budapest Hotel with its pink and teal palette, is cleverly detailed and its surreal dollhouse settings hide its rather standard plot-driven screenplay by Simon Farnaby and the director. Dario Marianelli's jaunty score adds a perfect touch of whimsy.The story involves Paddington's goal to buy an antique book for his aunt's 100th birthday. He decides to take various jobs to earn money with madcap antics in tow. However, he is not the only who wants this tome. Enter Hugh Grant as Phoenix Buchanan, a has-been actor and master of disguises, who plans to steal the valuable text and has Paddington framed for the crime. Villainy is foremost to make Paddington's travails remotely entertaining and Mr. Grant as the hammy thespian is a joy. His comic performance adds a certain vaudeville flavor and cartoonish conflict that works beautifully.The perfectly British cast is a gathering of today's film royalty with the likes of Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, and Tom Conti. Their roles are subservient to our animated hero and their characters lack any real sense of interest; they are only props in the plot mechanism that runs this machine. In fact, the Brown family and their neighbors somewhat slow down the action. One major exception in the human cast, beside the aforementioned Mr. Grant: Brendan Gleeson creates an extremely memorable character as hardened criminal, Knuckles McGinty, who develops a soft spot for Mr. Bear. Paddington 2 is deliciously charming. Simply said, it is as sweet and smooth as orange marmalade.
capone666 Paddington 2Bears make great house pets until they wake from hibernation bloodthirsty.Fortunately, the Ursa Minor in this animated-comedy can be easily overpowered.Entrenched in the fabric of the Brown family (Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins), domesticated bear Paddington (Ben Whishaw) hopes to show his appreciation to his human hosts by buying his adoptive aunt (Imelda Staunton) an antique pop-up book for her birthday. But when the tome turns up missing from Mr. Gruber's (Jim Broadbent) shop, Paddington is sent to prison, while the real culprit uses the manuscript to locate lost treasure.Charming as ever, this delightful sequel to the pleasantly surprising original adaptation of the kid lit favourite is as brilliant as the first. While the computer rendering of the titular character remains hyper-realistic, the family friendly storyline is even more thoughtful while the supporting human cast is hilarious.Moreover, incarcerating bears is a surefire way to solve prison overpopulation. Green Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca