{"id":227,"date":"2018-01-14T01:47:45","date_gmt":"2018-01-14T01:47:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.granitecitynow.com\/?p=227"},"modified":"2018-03-31T00:45:09","modified_gmt":"2018-03-31T00:45:09","slug":"paddington-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.granitecitynow.com\/?p=227","title":{"rendered":"Paddington 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It\u2019s been three years (that long?!?!<\/em>) since I was pleasantly surprised by a movie about a little bear in the blue duffel coat and floppy red hat.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaddington<\/a>\u201d was released in theaters around the same time as the announcement of the 2015 Oscar nominations \u2013 which also<\/em> was a time when profound, weighty dramas dominated movie screens and consumed critics\u2019 attention.<\/p>\n

I was writing a movie column for a central MN newspaper and had watched a seemingly endless stream of flicks that were, well\u2026 depressing (but very good, don\u2019t get me wrong). But I needed something light to counter that overwhelming feeling of despair.<\/p>\n

Then came \u201cPaddington.\u201d<\/p>\n

I absolutely loved it, and as you can imagine I was happier than a bear with a marmalade sandwich when I heard there would be a sequel. And now it\u2019s here, with marmalade in tow and that \u201chard stare\u201d at the ready.<\/p>\n

And its intro is a sort of flashback, giving insight into how this young bear came into the lives of Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) and Uncle Pastuzo (Michael Gambon).<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we look after this bear,\u201d Aunt Lucy says, gazing into his adorable bear cub eyes, \u201cI have a feeling he\u2019ll go far.\u201d Indeed he will.<\/p>\n

Fast-forward to present day London. Paddington (again voiced by Ben Whishaw) is no longer in search of a home; he happily has found that with the Brown family.<\/p>\n

The opening here finds Paddington, as he often did in the first flick, writing a letter home to Aunt Lucy to catch her up on the goings on and to set the stage for this installment\u2019s story by reading the contents of that letter for us as we watch the Browns \u2013 Mary (Sally Hawkins<\/a>), Judy (Madeleine Harris), Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) and Henry (Hugh Bonneville) \u2013 along with Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters) implement the actions described by Paddington\u2019s narration.<\/p>\n

We see how easily our furry hero is making friends and how nicely he\u2019s fitting in to life in England.<\/p>\n

And if not for Aunt Lucy, Paddington wouldn\u2019t be where he is. So for her upcoming birthday, he wants to get her the perfect gift. After all, it\u2019s not every day that a bear turns 100.<\/p>\n

It has always been Aunt Lucy\u2019s dream to visit England, so when Paddington finds a gift that would essentially bring London to her<\/em>, his eyes light up with angelic excitement. Awww!<\/p>\n

But as it turns out, Victorian steam fair actor Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant, devilishly exaggerated to gratifying excellence) has an interest in this item of his own. (By the way, the initial meeting between Buchanan and Paddington is altogether darling. Have I mentioned the bear\u2019s excitement?)<\/p>\n

To afford the gift for his aunt, Paddington gets a job \u2013 well\u2026 jobs, which leads to all sorts of shenanigans. But before he can save enough money, this perfect gift he\u2019s so excited to buy is stolen \u2013 gasp!<\/em> \u2013 right out from under his fuzzy bear snout.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s not even the worst news\u2026.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no secret that sequels generally are not as satisfying as originals, but \u201cPaddington 2\u201d completely turns that theory on its head. I can\u2019t even tell you how much I enjoyed this follow-up flick; it\u2019s at least<\/em> as good as the first, if not better.<\/p>\n

The story is just as \u201ctickety boo,\u201d and the humor is once again refreshing and innocent, satirical and inspiring. Adults will love it as much as kids, because the jokes aren\u2019t toned down in an effort to appeal to a younger audience; there\u2019s some smart, sophisticated stuff here that\u2019s highly enjoyable and legitimately funny.<\/p>\n

Some of that is because of Paddington\u2019s naivety and willingness to trust everyone, and a lot<\/em> of it is courtesy of Bonneville\u2019s tongue-in-cheek lines, his physical comedy or his priceless reactions to just about every situation.<\/p>\n

Director Paul King (no relation) keeps our eyes busy with visuals that are beyond stunning; in fact, they\u2019re looking at stunning in the rear view mirror.<\/p>\n

There are colors \u2013 oh the colors!<\/em> \u2013 so vibrant and saturated that they almost literally jump off the screen.<\/p>\n

The unconventional techniques and camera angles are plentiful yet never boring \u2013 those obscure and magical-looking point-of-view shots, or the artistically executed time-lapse progressions, or the select focus and zooms that immediately direct our attention.<\/p>\n

They bring a cartoony feel that\u2019s a throwback to the stories by British author Michael Bond.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s that extraordinary sequence during which Paddington and Aunt Lucy become animated figures in a pop-up book, jumping from one scene to another as the pages turn and a new background takes shape. Are you kidding me?<\/p>\n

This<\/em> is the whimsy and creative essence that makes these movies playful, fascinating and so<\/em> much fun.<\/p>\n

Add to that the elements of mystery, intrigue and suspense, and \u201cPaddington 2\u201d is a true recipe for success.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s that bear.<\/p>\n

Whether he\u2019s helping others, insistent on playing by the rules or literally bringing color to a bland and sullen setting, Paddington\u2019s enthusiasm will restore your faith in the world.<\/p>\n

This time he meets some eccentric and unsavory characters, with names like Knuckles McGinty (Brendan Gleeson), Phibs (Noah Taylor), and Spoon (Aaron Neil). But even their hardened personalities are no match for Paddington\u2019s honesty and charm \u2013 and it\u2019s not long before he, as he always does, wins them over.<\/p>\n

But then when watch through Paddington\u2019s eyes the Brown family becoming smaller in the distance as he\u2019s taken away, or when he realizes no one will be reading him a bedtime story (ohmigod!<\/em>) or when he thinks the Browns have forgotten him because they don\u2019t visit, that look of sorrow will completely<\/em> crush your soul.<\/p>\n

For a computer generated character to bring about that much emotion speaks volumes. And the soft and soothing quality in Whishaw\u2019s voice helps make Paddington that much more endearing.<\/p>\n

This bear doesn\u2019t understand sarcasm, and he takes people at their word. And no matter the situation, he never forgets his manners; he\u2019ll tip his hat to everyone, even to those least deserving \u2013 because \u201cit\u2019s the polite thing to do.\u201d And because Aunt Lucy taught him to \u201clook for the good in people, and you\u2019ll find it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He really is the sweetest thing.<\/p>\n

Paddington\u2019s adventures are a delight, and I surely hope there\u2019ll be more. If that requires another three-year hiatus, so be it; \u201cPaddington 2\u201d definitely was worth the wait.<\/p>\n

You have just enjoyed the insights of Movie Addict Mel, a cinema dork and conversational writer. Follow her on Twitter\u00a0@movieaddictmel<\/a>, and \u201clike\u201d her Facebook page\u00a0www.facebook.com\/movieaddictmel<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0You also can email her at movieaddictmel@outlook.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n