ReWatch: Paddington + Paddington 2

2014, Paul King (Space Force) -- download
2017, Paul King (The Mighty Boosh) -- download

In my recent "Snippets" post, I noticed that I had <shock & awe> not ever previously written about these movies that I so adore. Not sure why. Likely in the 2018-ish dark era I had a "post in drafts mode" that I eventually just deleted. So, I felt I needed to rectify that, if for any reason but to give respect to the movies.

I don't have kids and my years of being exposed to child programming culture via the kids of friends and family, are long in the past. So, I don't know much about this loveable British bear other than his love of marmalade sandwiches and his sartorial choices.

But for ages I heard about how exactly incredible these movies were. While I don't recall exactly, I have a feeling I heard more about "the second movie is even better !!" which prompted me to want to watch both. Its also entirely possible that my viewings emerged during a desperate, grasping need for positivity during The Pause. As Kent mentions in his writeup, the advent of "kindness porn" probably allowed these movies many many rewatches during those dark years.

Paddington charms the pants off me. Sure, its a kids movie with all kinds of juvenile humour and the conceit of a talking bear from a race of bears who not only speak English (and bear) but also live in homes and wear clothing should they so choose. Plot at a nod is that the little bear from Darkest Peru comes to London seeking out the Geographer who invited his family (of bears) to visit him ages ago, but being Peruvian (and bear) he doesn't get this whole weird world of cities (and humans) until The Family Brown invites him in to live with them -- not entirely without some misgivings. And there is a Moustache Twirling Villain in the form of Nicole Kidman who wants to stuff Paddington. The charming bits come not so much from Paddington himself, though the soothing tones of Ben Whishaw and the iconic "hard stare" do make me smile, and smile, but they come from around Paddington. 

Its the world of Paddington that is so utterly charming. It is sort of Wes Anderson adjacent with a twee sensibility, and the world is so full of likeable, lovely recognizable British faces. And while the bear can definitely be slapsticky (with marmalade) he always interacts with everyone with manners and sincerity, making quick friends where ever he goes. And then there is the calypso band playing music on street corners every so often. Big Silly Grin. The flashback scenes to when Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey) was full of daring and bravado and a hippy-stache. Snort. The tree painted on the stairwell in the Brown's house changes with the seasons and moods. Smile. Peter Capaldi as the "don't trust those (foreigner) bears" neighbourhood watch guy is just... on the nose. There are so many more moments, it all just escapes me, as they are in-the-moment things.

And entirely worth all of it.

Paddington 2 is said to be the better of the two and startles people by sending the lovable bear to prison. Yup. There is another Moustache Twirling Villain in the form of washed-up actor Hugh Grant who frames Paddington for stealing a book from his close friend Mr. Gruber (Jim Broadbent, Cloud Atlas). Even Paddington admits that all the evidence points to him. Our wee bear ends up one of those cold stone British prisons full of ... well, charming, funny, likeable criminals including Knuckles McGinty (Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges), an irascible prison cook. As Paddington is wont to do, he messes up, initially laundering everyone's striped prison uniform to a uniform pink, but once he introduces the lot to marmalade, all is forgiven. 

The caper of the film, and these films would be wonderful even without the caper aspects, is that the Browns have to clear Paddington's name, by finding out who stole the book, and why. That leads them to Phoenix Buchanan who just needs some legendary treasure to fund his return to the glitz and glamouor of the stage. He's not as evil as Nicole Kidman's taxidermist, which is why we are not chagrinned to see him become rather successful when he himself is sent to prison, with a captive audience, pun intended. But he is delightfully unlikeable.

What made it better than the first? Full on embrace of the world and the characters. Once dispensing with the need for setup, the whole movie can just move from one charming scene to the next. Lovable bear, lovable Browns and ... well, lovable prison gang.

Kent's lttrbx'd.