Paddington 2

This review may contain spoilers!

The start of this year saw a surprisingly strong return of the live-action family film and this is probably the crowning achievement of this recent trend. I would give Paddington 2 a 9.5/10.

This film has a simple story that doesn't aim to tell anything more than a heartwarming story about a family to support the young bear amongst them and it works perfectly. The film balances out fun, slapstick comedy with wild and entertaining chase sequences. Paddington and the other cast of characters really carry over well from the first film; with many of the newer cast members being given more than their fair share to shine. The film grounds itself with a very clear moral message tied very intricately with the goal of the plot; making this a markedly optimistic film compared to some of the dreary, dull dark films that have emerged throughout the year. The narrative of Paddington 2 provides redemption, bravery, family and love in what is one of the best films out this year. The cinematography is absolutely brilliant, the unique set pieces are a real highlight and the film is given a lot of energy thanks to the appealing visual design. The score for this film provides an uplifting and optimistic tone; the musical number led by Hugh Grant at the end of the feature is absolute icing on the cake.

Imelda Staunton, who voiced Aunt Lucy, provides a role who you can immediately believe to be sweet and kindly; Staunton lends her voice to only small sections of the film but she has quite a powerful emotional impact. Ben Whishaw, who voiced Paddington, once again does a splendid job as the film's protagonist; the immediate charisma and charm to this character mean he is the heart of the film for all the right reasons. Sally Hawkins, who played Mary Brown, is a real adventurous spirit throughout the feature; Hawkins captures the creative and energetic tone a film like this so desperately needs. Hugh Bonneville, who played Henry Brown, still has the 'stiff upper lip' persona which makes him more of a rigid role than other members of the cast; Bonneville really seems to connect with the morals behind films like these and is always up for a good bit of comedy at his expense. Julie Walters, who played Mrs Bird, really has a hold of this character and makes her feel more like a member of the family in this film; Walters' crafts a fiery temper which in turn leads to some great conflict between her and Grant. Hugh Grant, who played Phoenix Buchanan, makes for a brilliant antagonist that rivals what Kidman did in the last film; Grant really shows off his acting range, bringing forth a number of accents and archetypes as the scene needed it. Peter Capaldi, who played Mr Curry, seems to have found his fit in this film as the neighbourhood nuisance; Capaldi enters scenes and bullies others around making for some great forms of antagonism throughout the feature. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, who played Warden Walker, seems like a harsh figure of authority when the audience is introduced to him; yet, Holdbrook-Smith develops the role to be so kind as to read his prisoners' bedtime stories. Joanna Lumley, who played Felicity Fanshaw, was quite the fun cameo to this film; Lumley's ability to exude an extravagant persona really mirrored that of Grant's role.

However. the best performance came from Brendan Gleeson, who played Knuckles McGinty. Gleeson really showed quite a wide range as a performer in this family film, going above and beyond what could be expected. This is a role you feel intimidated by when he is first introduced, he's quick to rage and has a rough exterior. Yet Gleeson does incredibly to develop a role who displays subtle moments of genuine connection, care and integrity. The bond Gleeson manages to develop with a CGI bear is surprisingly powerful and one of the more moving onscreen relationships I've seen all year.

The film takes its time to really get started, the film feels slow at the beginning which doesn't lend itself well to hooking you in. The editing for the film doesn't help much because it settles for a slow cut between shots and scene transitions are very gradual.

Madeleine Harris, who played Judy Brown, is tasked with a more inquisitive nature but this doesn't lend her any greater significance; you feel that Harris works best when her role is in the background. Samuel Joslin, who played Jonathan Brown, comes off as exceptionally cringeworthy this time around; Joslin's wild extremes between the start and the end of the film only indicates that the writers didn't really know what they wanted to do with the child characters. Jim Broadbent, who played Mr Gruber, is quite the dottery role who is quirky but disinteresting; Broadbent only really fits into this film as a means of introducing the inciting plot device. Tom Conti, who played Judge Gerald Biggleswade, is a bit bland as the constant victim and deliverer of slapstick comedy; Conti isn't a character so much as a figure to be laughed at which makes him a weak link in this film. Eileen Atkins, who played Madame Kozlova, was a bit of an oddball act brought in at an odd place in the second act; Atkins didn't add a great deal beyond exposition. Simon Farnaby, who played Barry the Security Guard, laid the comedy on a bit strong, even for Paddington; Farnaby took his role's scene to a ridiculous place that felt out of tone with the rest of the feature.