One thing I've never been shameful of, least of all in the past week at work, is my adoration of the 2014 film Paddington, a film I went to see with my then girlfriend way back when, and that I still love, in spite of her. And so there I was, a 20 year old man getting his 1 ticket for Paddington 2, bet that didn't look funny at all, but the honest truth is I was buzzing to watch the sequel, and for good reason, because just like it's predecessor, its amazing, let's go.
Paddington 2 opens with, of all things, a flashback to Peru, and it's great to get about 40 more seconds of Michael Gambon as Pastuzo, but in all honesty this is a surprisingly throwaway scene in the film's setup, as we next see Paddington, who at this point has not only been completely accepted by the Browns, but by seemingly the entire city of London, which we are shown in a monstrously heart-warming sequence of him making his way through the streets saying hello to literally everyone he sees. Just like the first film, it's impossible to not love Paddington; his motto of always seeing the good in people is some of the sweetest shit, as is his friendliness and optimism, Paddington is still one of the most optimistic movie heroes you're ever going to see, and it's every bit as adorable here as it was in 2014, though this time it might require a bit more suspension of disbelief, something we'll get back to. What I found very surprising about the sequel was where they took Paddington as a character; sure his journey in this film hits pretty much all the same beats as the first, but putting him in prison was an interesting move for sure, something the audience will inevitably be invested in because of how unjust it is, and seeing Paddington making friends out of the most hardened criminals in Britain would be a testament to his naivety if it wasn't so sweet, and if you haven't already accepted that this film is a live action cartoon. In terms of the character of Paddington, he really hasn't changed much from the first film, and doesn't change much in this one, but his personality and endless shenanigans more than compensate. The same can be said of the Browns, though Paddington has had a noticeable impact on their lives, with Henry now being a bit more laid back, and with Judy and Jonathan now effectively treating him like a little brother, while Mary hasn't changed at all, and what's weird is just how much of a non negative that is, as the maternal love she constantly throws at Paddington is just as adorable here as it was 3 years ago, god what's happening to me, I'm saying sweet and adorable so bloody much. An addition this film makes to the mix is Paddington's new friends, his neighbours all love him, except Mr. Curry, who's gone from redeemable dick in the first film to quasi-bureaucratic, prejudicial dick in this one, maybe they went a bit overboard on the dick, which might the most unintentionally funny thing I've ever written. when Paddington ends up in the slammer is when your suspension of disbelief will be tested, as he befriends the hardest criminal in there; Nuckles Mcginty, and ends up effectively reforming the Prison, but Nuckles was great, seeing him starting to genuinely care for Paddington is fantastic, given that in their first interaction he nearly kills him. Then there's the villain, Paddington had a great villain with the crazy taxidermist Millicent Clyde, and Paddington 2, I feel, has an even better villain with Phoenix Buchanan, a man for whom the word narcissist does not do justice, and who keeps all of his old costumes in his loft, where he talks to them and does voices for them so they talk back, he's a bit out of his mind. And if I'm being completely honest, I was disappointed that the 'master of disguise' joke wasn't done that much, because when it was done, it was really funny, if very ridiculous, as one would expect when you dress Hugh Grant up as a nun.
If you're looking for a film that's ground breaking and original, Paddington 2 really isn't what you're after, since in terms of narrative structure, it follows very similar patterns to the original, the first Paddington was similarly straightforward in its story and structure, and just like the first, Paddington 2's strength comes not from what it does, but how well it does it. Sure I was never caught off guard by any plot twists, but by the end of the film, I had one of the biggest smiles on my face that I've had in a cinema this year, and in the spirit of transparency, in this film's final scene, when Paddington finally gets Lucy her present, I was actually starting to tear up, and just like the first film, towards the end Paddington finds himself in some serious mortal danger, and I was on the edge of my seat. Though this film steps it up in its final act, swapping out the skulking around a museum for the finale in exchange for a train chase, yes, a train chase, with Paddington scrambling along the roof of a moving train being pursued by the film's villain, and I definitely find this to be an improvement, this film being considerably more ridiculous than the first, it only makes sense that it would end with the Browns hijacking a steam train to save Paddington, again, suspension of disbelief. Which is definitely something you have to keep in mind when watching both of these films, but especially this one, Paddington 2 is not trying to be realistic or grounded, it's a film about a talking bear that eats marmalade, it's not trying to be believable, it's just trying to be entertaining, and by Jove it is. This film is every bit as relentlessly funny as the first, and even brings back some of the funniest jokes from the first; like how the Band that followed Paddington around in the first film is still following him around in this one, now appearing in even more absurd environments like inside the prison and on the side of the Shard, as someone who admires the art of filmmaking, I find that fucking hilarious. And like the first, I don't think I've picked up on all the jokes the film offers, I noticed a joke hidden in a newspaper column in this film, I bet there's dozens more that are hiding in plain site as that one was, which makes this film immensely rewatchable, at least to someone like me. But while the film is extremely funny, something else that it gets very right is the feels; seeing Paddington's effect on the people around him is heart melting, Paddington's friendship with Nuckles was strained in the second half, and it left Paddington in a surprisingly dark place emotionally. But then there's of course the finale of the train chase, that would absolutely have rendered me a blubbering mess if it had gone on any longer. Like the first film, Paddington finds himself in a very dangerous position in the climax, but to me there's just something horrible about seeing a character accepting their own mortality, and Paddington 2 actually goes there, and it was horrible, and I absolute adore it, since the best family films out there tend to have the balls to be a bit fucked up, and Paddington 2 is no exception in that regard, I heard a few kids a few rows down from me crying, and I was actually tempted to join them, something I will fully admit to, because Paddington 2 did that.
Paddington 2 is very much like the first film, and not only is that not a bad thing, but it's probably the best thing I could say about it. It doesn't reinvent the formula of the family film, but it doesn't try to, it's simply taking the formula and doing the best it possibly can with it, and the result is absolutely fantastic, it's the best family film I've seen this year by a mile; it has the most lovable main character I've seen all year by a mile, one of the strongest supporting casts I've seen in ages, and a great villain, but on top of all of that the film is just fun; it's fast, funny, and at times surprisingly emotional, and I'll be honest, I loved every minute of it, Paddington 2 is absolutely a must watch.
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