I have never read the children books, but
I watched the cartoons fondly back when I was a kid. Thus, I can claim that I have familiarity with the source material, and I believe that the movie has perfectly depicted the clumsy but well-meaning,
marmalade-loving bear from “darkest Peru.”
Paddington is as heart-warming and adorable as the best of Disney
movies (which, in my opinion, are the greatest family movies out there). Yes, I went there. It’s just that wonderful. Every aspect of Paddington resonates with timelessness and charm – the plot isn’t
exactly novel, but the familiar nature of the story is so amiable that it’s
still refreshing overall; the kind of humor delivered is clichéd, but
everything else is just clicking very well that it does generate genuine
laughs; the CGI is impeccable; the narrative
romanticizes London as setting to great effect; and its family-centered message
truly hits home. It definitely has the
makings of a classic. Watching it will leave a cozy, warm feeling inside.
The supporting cast to the CGI
bear did a swell, believable job in interacting with the lead character. The Brown household is easily likable. Peter Capaldi is simply being the lovable,
eccentric Doctor Who that I know. And Nicole
Kidman is a delightfully campy villainess that reminds me of Glenn Close’s
Cruella de Vil in the live-action 101 Dalmatians movie.
It’s still early in the
year. But Paddington, for me, is already the go-to family movie of
2015*. And it has raised the bar so high
for upcoming G-rated films that it’s going to be very difficult to knock this movie
off its pedestal in my eyes.
*It was released in 2014 in the
UK. But as far as the rest of the world
is concerned, it’s a 2015 movie.
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