While we may have had reservations about the Paddington movie in the run up to its late 2014 release, the reality is that there’s just something magically endearing about the little bear that wins you over a little in the end. It’s a silly take on the Michael Bond classic, with more than a few hints of British farce and slapstick about the comedy, but when all marmalade sandwiches are polished off and the dust settles on the final scene you’ll look back on the movie with the kind of fondness that could inspire a sequel.
Released on DVD, Blue-ray and digital download on the 23rd March, it’s a fun family movie with enough laughs to make it well worth watching. It’s far from perfect, but what it lacks in polish it just about makes up for in irreverent hijinks mixed with more than a little love for the history of the much-loved Peruvian bear.
The story is a direct adaptation of the Michael Bond original with a few interesting twists and turns along the way. The first of these is that things start out in a very cool looking jungle hideaway deep in the rainforests of darkest Peru. However, when disaster strikes Paddington’s family idyl, he’s packed off to London by his aunt Lucy and so his adventure begins and he’s eventually taken in by the Brown family who promise to help the bear find a home.
The extent of the origin story makes for a nice introduction to the film, setting things up for the London jaunt that follows. It also makes for a clever lead in to the main villain of the movie, one Millicent Clyde, a taxidermy obsessed member of the Natural History Museum, who has become fixated on the concept of catching, killing and stuffing the rare Peruvian find that Paddington appears to be.
The cast does a pretty good job of breathing new life into the national treasure that is Paddington Bear, with Ben Wishaw (SPECTRE) sounding fairly convincing in the title role. Every now and again, if you’re really scrutinising his voice there are a few inflections that sound much more like the British actor than they do the character himself, but overall he does quite well encapsulating Paddington’s big-hearted thoughtfulness and attempts to try hard to get things right.
Hugh Bonniville (The Monument’s Men) makes a solid Mr Brown and Sally Hawkins (Submarine) goes for a quirky take on Mrs Brown. The casting has gone for a modern take on the Brown children with Madeleine Harris as a moody teenage Judy and Samuel Joslin as the exuberant Jonathan. Julie Walters is a bit nuts as Mrs Bird, Jim Broadbent overcooks the performance as Mr Gruber and Peter Capaldi (Dr Who) is true to the original Mr Curry. Director Paul King (Starlings) also puts in a bit of a cameo as a street rat pick-pocket and Matt Lucas makes an appearance as an over the top London cabbie.
However, the star of the show in terms of delivery has got to be Nicole Kidman (Aquaman), who plays the nefarious animal stuffer Millicent Clyde. She’s a pretty dominant force to be reckoned with and makes for a very good baddie in a Cruella de Vil meets Hans Gruber kind of way.
If you’re wondering who the wonderful voices of Ant Lucy and Uncle Pastuso are, you might be pleased to find out that they’re played by Imelda Staunton (Maleficent) and Michael Gambon (Fantastic Mr Fox). They both contribute a lot to the opening sequences of the film and while they’re parts are relatively small, they’re presence is definitely felt in terms of the stability of the film.
The special effects are in general quite good, but they’re not quite as slick as they could be around the edges. They’re mostly convincing, especially the early section in deepest, darkest Peru, but every now and again the strings start to show. The sequences within the dolls house showing the lives of the Brown family are a nice touch, adding to the warmth of the film.
Overall, the Paddington movie has turned out to be a success and while it misses the mark on a number of occasions it remains an endearing chapter in the evolution of marmalade loving caniform. It might have been nice to see a little less silliness in the overall style of the film, but that aside it’s a credible return for the British icon and a good potential DVD to add to the young at heart collection. The very fact that Michael Bond puts in a Stan Lee-like cameo appearance in the movie is enough of a nod in the film’s direction for us, so if he’s happy with Paul King’s efforts, then we are too.
Paddington movie DVD review: 3.5/5
Paddington movie DVD front cover:
