My mom and I just went to see Paddington. Both of us love Paddington, he is one of our favourite childhood figures! An adorable bear from Darkest Peru who was sent to London to find a family by his Aunt Lucy? SOLD. Every time I go to London, I have to go to Paddington Station, take a picture with the Paddington Bear statue, and of course, visit the gift shoppe. As a Canadian from Winnipeg, I have an inherent love of Winnie-the-Pooh, but I love Paddington Bear just as much.
I wasn’t sure about the trailer, but I was going to see it no matter what. Hugh Bonneville is perfect as Mr. Brown. (Hugh Bonneville is perfect for all English male roles- he is the quintessential English dad, but that is for another time.) Ben Wishaw provides the voice of our favourite Peruvian bear, and does a fantastic job! He is polite and loving and funny and thoughtful, and there isn’t a better Paddington. Sally Hawkins is a lovable Mrs. Brown that any of us would be lucky to have in our lives. It was a mini-Harry Potter reunion, with Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Michael Gambon, and Imelda Staunton all contributing. Also, Peter Capaldi from Dr. Who plays a nosy neighbour- this could not be a more English film. Nicole Kidman does well as the villain- she isn’t one of my favourite actors by any stretch, but she makes a good Millicent.
There will be no spoilers in this review, but I loved this movie because the drama and suspense wasn’t too present. I usually go with kids movies- I will fully admit to loving the comfort and pleasant nature of Disney movies/Despicable Me/Paddington type movies. It is fun-loving and exciting and Paddington’s lovable energy runs throughout the film! The only sad part is that I am even more determined to find a blue duffle coat- I have been looking for years now. If you know where I can find one for $250 USD or less, let me know!! Seriously- PLEASE TELL ME.
And above everything else, go see Paddington 🙂
Until tomorrow,
The Historian!
