My Movie Review on Paddington 2 · 1:51pm Mar 25th, 2020
Salutations, my friends.
This is your mild-mannered film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.
Today, for my 130th film analysis, I'm gonna give you guys my take of "Paddington 2".
Here's the summary of this sequel:
Having settled in with the Brown family, Paddington the bear has become quite a popular member of his neighborhood, spreading joy and a side of marmalade wherever he goes. With his Aunt Lucy's birthday coming, Paddington decides to get a job to earn money for a pop-up book of London as a birthday present for Aunt Lucy.
However, when a thief breaks into Samuel Gruber's antique shop and steals the book, Paddington is inadvertently framed for stealing it and is taken to jail. There, he is confronted by an atmosphere of cruelty and mistrust.
Meanwhile, narcissistic actor Phoenix Buchanan, the thief who stole the book, is on the hunt for a lost treasure, and the Browns are working very hard to prove Paddington's innocent.
Will Paddington's name ever be cleared? Or will he be stuck in prison forever?
What's more, will Phoenix manage to find the treasure he's after?
After reviewing the 1st movie, I literally couldn't say 'no' to doing an analysis on this film next.
And how could I not?
This sequel is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!
For instance, the acting, casting, characters, and character development were as spot-on as ever.
Among the things I enjoyed was how far Mrs. Brown was willing to go for helping Paddington, and the large amount of warmth, care, and sense of determination that Sally Hawkins put into the character. In addition, Ben Whishaw's portrayal of Paddington was as warm and amazing as ever, and it was interesting to see the character get tested in upholding his moral code while in prison.
The film's new characters and cast members were quite a powerhouse as well. Hugh Grant, of course, was an absolute scene-stealer. He showcased exactly why many classify him as one of the finest actors from Europe, incorporating brilliant personality and sense of humor into his character of Phoenix, as well as a classical sort of air to him.
The character of Knuckles McGinty and the rest of the jail characters were an intriguing bunch as well. I love how they developed under the influence of Paddington's kindness and innocence, and the performers that portrayed their characters did an awesome job. Especially Brendan Gleeson as Knuckles McGinty, who gave the character a great sense of humor and dimensionalism.
The direction by Paul King, and the story by him and Simon Farnaby were quite the powerhouse too. If the mission behind it was to go deeper than in the previous movie, then I'm proud to say that King and Farnaby did an amazing job at doing just that. The comedy of the film was all-out hilarious, and it maintained the innocence and touch that made the humor in the first movie so special. Along with that, the emotional resonance of the film was as deeply soul-tugging as ever.
The music by Dario Marianelli was quite a showstopper too, if I may add. He's definitely not Nick Urata, but he was a brilliant successor. Throughout the film, I couldn't help but note that his melodies perfectly matched that of Urata's, and at the same time...they had a distinct sense that they were different. It takes a great composer to give his melodies such a unique balance, and Marianelli proved himself to be capable of doing so.
In the end, "Paddington 2" is a rare sequel that not only beautifully succeeds its predecessor, but...it proves itself to be twice as good as the first film too.
So, I rate "Paddington 2" a solid five out of five stars.
To StudioCanal: I hope you guys make the third film you're planning on doing just as great, because now...you've got my attention hook, line, and sinker.
This film helped out the heritage railway industry a fair bit. Tornado, a preserved steam engine, appears a fair bit in the movie, becoming something of an advertisement for heritage steam.