Now and then, streaming platforms add a film that manages to bring audiences and critics together for a singular experience that is almost universally adored.
On Netflix right now, that can be found in Paddington 2, which the streamer just added this November. And don’t worry, you can brush up on the first film, Paddington, before you dive in.
The sequel boasts an impressive 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, signaling that almost every critic who reviewed the film liked it. And we have to agree — Paddington 2 is hard not to love.
Watch With Us breaks down exactly why that is.
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The Whimsical Narrative Is Made With Genuine Care
The sequel to Paddington follows our titular, marmalade-loving bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw), having since settled in with his new family, the Browns, in London, and is intent on simply bringing joy and good cheer to everyone he meets. But when he goes to purchase a gift for his Aunt Lucy’s birthday, he’s framed for robbery and placed in jail. He and his family must find the real criminal and exonerate little Paddington.
Paddington 2 is that rare children’s film which hasn’t been pieced together with pipe cleaners, duct tape and fart jokes. Meticulous care has gone into not only the visuals, production design, and world-building, but also the story, characters and the film’s message as well. Heartwarming in all the right ways, Paddington 2 never condescends to its primarily younger audience, which creates a film that is both enjoyable for adults as well as intelligent for children. Entirely earnest, sweet and free of irony, Paddington 2 embraces its audience with warm paws.
‘Paddington 2’ Has Broad, All-Ages Appeal
When it comes to children’s films, most of the time screenwriters lean on lazy comedy that patronizes children and makes the experience unbearable for their adult chaperones. Paddington 2 does no such thing, successfully blending silly slapstick humor (which will always bridge generations) with wry wit that will appeal more to adults. There are plenty of sight gags, running bits and clever jokes to keep the film’s humor accessible to all audiences.
But much of the film’s humor is also derived from Hugh Grant’s wonderfully theatrical, near-camp performance as the villain Phoenix Buchanan: a cravat-donning washed-up actor who apparently thinks his next best move is to get an innocent bear wrongly jailed. Some critics even felt that Grant ran away with the entire film, and we’re inclined to agree — Grant plays with the rom-com persona he’s been known for, instead using that charisma for a villain who is both delightful and diabolical.
In a Troubled World, Paddington’s Perspective Offers a Respite
“If we’re kind and polite, the world will be right,” as Paddington likes to say, and it’s a wonderful sentiment to hold onto, especially when things can feel a bit dark and scary out in the real world. But the film’s overall attitude towards kindness and humanity feels particularly needed right now, and Paddington 2 is unquestionably a very humanist film despite its protagonist being an anthropomorphic bear.
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While Paddington 2 sadly won’t save the world, watching the film does make everything feel a bit better. It’s a film that clearly and truly values the idea of being kind to others, and that extending simple acts of kindness can help make the world a better place for everyone. It sends a timeless and necessary message to its young audience while offering a warm thesis that doesn’t belabor the point or dip into mawkish territory.
Stream Paddington 2 now on Netflix.
