January 23, 2018 – I liked the first Paddington film, and this one was getting good reviews, so I went to see it when it finally rolled into town at a local theater recently, and it really is a wonderful film.

This film picks up where the last film left off, with Paddington (a small bear) living happily in London, enriching the lives of all he comes in contact with, except for one neighbor, Mr. Curry (Peter Capaldi of the “Dr. Who” TV series) who remains steadfastly irritable and suspicious of the wee bear. Mr. Curry is a busybody who regards himself as the guardian of his neighborhood.

Paddington wants to buy his aunt Lucy a spectacular gift for her 100th birthday and spots just the thing, a one-of-a-kind popup book of London in Samuel Gruber's antique shop (Gruber is played by Jim Broadbent of “Bridget Jones's Baby”). It is quite expensive, but Paddington sets out to earn the money for it by working odd jobs.

Paddington's job in a barbershop comes to a disastrous end, but he seems to be making pretty good money as a window washer. He is close to his goal when disaster strikes. The popup book is stolen from the antique shop, and all the circumstantial evidence points toward Paddington, who saw the thief and chased him through the shop.

Prison does not dampen Paddington's ever sunny disposition, or his good will towards others, and he soon transforms the entire prison into a much nicer place, making friends with the friendless, fierce cook, Knuckles McGinty (Brendan Gleeson of “Suffragette”) and other prisoners, the warden and the guards.

The fact that Paddington remains locked up for a crime he did not commit does begin to weigh on him, however, and he eventually agrees to an escape plan cooked up by Knuckles and some other prisoners. Meanwhile, Paddington's friends have been busy looking for the real thief, hoping to clear Paddington of the charges.

Paddington, his friends, and the real thief end up in an adventurous chase for hidden treasure, and a violent confrontation aboard a speeding train. This film has a little of everything from slapstick humor to a big musical dance number. The plot has some interesting twists, and the acting is very good.

Director Paul King (who also directed the first “Paddington”) has once again come up with the perfect antidote to the cynicism, selfishness, xenophobia and hatred of the times we live in. This is a light, touching, magical film with imaginative visuals, interesting characters and an uplifting message. This film rates an A.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2018 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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