There has been a long search for the absolutely perfect family film. With Paddington 2, it has — at long last — arrived. The new-to-Blu-Ray and DVD (and digital download formats) has a perfect score over at the aggregate movie review site, Rotten Tomatoes. Now, this publication has always taken what RT has to say with a grain of salt. But, one thing is hard to ignore, if the critics collective finds that Paddington 2 is that elusive fully fantastic family film and possesses a 100-percent rating this long after its theatrical run — who are we to argue?!
After all, it is sensational, sublime and supremely impeccable for audiences from 8 to eighty.
Writer-director Paul King, who also co-wrote and directed the first Paddington, returns with a sequel that elevates the tale of the classic literary bear. Yes, it is beary, beary brilliant.
It’s been a few years since Paddington first arrived at the Brown family and he is settling in quite well. He decides to go to work, so he can earn some money to send his Aunt Lucy a centennial birthday present. He’s made it clear what the best present is for the beloved bear who raised him and that he will do anything to raise the money to secure the expensive gift. Therefore, when it’s stolen, our lovable furry soul is suspect number one. Paddington winds up sentenced to prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
If he didn’t do it… who did?
While in prison, a massive campaign is started on the outside by the Browns to bring justice to their beloved bear. The thing is, to make it through incarceration, on the inside he’s going to have to make some friends. One of them arrives in the most unlikely form of a prison chef Knuckles McGinty (Brendan Gleeson).
Meanwhile, priceless artifacts are disappearing left and right and it only further fans the belief flames of the Brown family that their adored friend is innocent.
When Colin Firth stepped away from voicing Paddington in the first film, he was replaced by Ben Whishaw. The Oscar winner felt that he could not do the character justice and although we will never get to hear what his Paddington was, Whishaw is a breath of adoring fresh air in the role, especially this second time around.
The rest of the cast is incredible, what with Sally Hawkins and Hugh Bonneville returning as the matriarch and patriarch of the Brown clan, aka Mary and Henry. Their thespian leadership and cinematic chemistry help sell this idea that this CG bear is real. Therefore, the emotions this family emits for and over him are as true as if he was their own child.
Stealing the show in Paddington 2 as our protagonist is Hugh Grant. His Phoenix Buchanan is simultaneously off-kilter, peculiar, tonally tenacious and hysterically hilarious. Grant needs to do more comedies, and specifically family comedies. Right behind him in the stealing scenes department is Gleeson as the prison chef McGinty. He must balance the line between hardened prison lifer and heart of gold misunderstood soul who simply never had any one open his heart like this little bear manages to achieve.
We normally do not commence our Blu-Ray bonus features with a salute to a music video that is included among the extras. But, if you witnessed the film in theaters, then you know all about that musical number that Buchanan does (we will not divulge one word about it if you haven’t seen it yet) in the film. The music video for it… well, let’s just say it is as good as a marmalade sandwich made by a bear who knows a thing or two about the delicious fruit spread.
Speaking of that tasty treat, a delightful video is among the featurettes. It teaches the viewer, through the most divine of ways, to make a marmalade sandwich. How to Make A Marmalade Sandwich will find you rushing out to buy marmalade!
Paddington: The Bear Truth gives us a terrific snap-shot (we wish some of these featurettes were longer) of the irresistible and contagious lessons to love all and include everyone. Not only do those themes permeate the film itself, it is clear that it affected each of the film’s stars and filmmakers as well.
One of the most treasured scenes in Paddington 2 is a sequence where the viewer feels as if they are witnessing a pop-up book come to life. The Magical Mystery of Paddington’s Pop-Up Book illustrates just how that sensational scene came to be with Paddington taking his beloved Aunt Lucy (voiced by the incomparable Imelda Staunton) on a fantastical trip. The special effects specialist who accomplished this beautiful bit of film shares inside tips into how the stunning scene was achieved.
We also adored Knuckles: A Fistful of Marmalade. It is a joyous featurette not only because we could watch Gleeson recite the alphabet and think it was a masterclass from a thespian titan. Gleeson discusses the challenges of his character arc and going from heartless stooge to heartfelt aide of that adorable bear of the title.
The Browns and Paddington: The Special Bond is another pure pleasure to witness as it reflects the adoring tone of the film itself. The actors, who comprise the family that adopted Paddington, share insight into how the clan has been altered since the last film — what with the bear living under their roof these last few years. They also comment on how the universal themes of the film (working together to aide someone you treasure … amongst others) is at the heart of why this film has resonated so much across borders and cultures.
Grant has a field day donning his various disguises as Buchanan that allow him to go on his crime spree. With The (Once) Famous Faces of Phoenix Buchanan, the veteran British actor adds insight into the makeup and costuming challenges that was one of the reasons why he signed on to the role. Of course, he was a huge fan of the first film, and comments on why he believes the series is so sensational.
When someone like King, who co-wrote and directed both films in the series, records an audio commentary, it is a terrific means to discover even more about the movie than all the bonus features combined. His audio commentary adds even more layers of awesomeness to a film that is already beyond awesome.
Film Grade: A+
Bonus Features: A