The world’s favorite marmalade-loving Paddington Bear is as adorable as ever in the critically acclaimed 2014 film adaptation, Paddington. When Paddington’s (Ben Whishaw) home in Peru is destroyed by an earthquake, the duffel-coat wearing bear heads to London and is picked up by the Brown family. Amongst his innocent mischief and chaotic escapades, a touching friendship is born while vengeful taxidermist Millicent (Nicole Kidman) is hellbent on stealing and stuffing Paddington.
The pressure was on for director Paul King when he decided to take on the challenge of creating a CGI reboot of one of the most iconic children’s book characters, a task that is often met with trepidation by the public. But King certainly captures the timeless charm of the beloved literary bear in this perfect family-friendly flick, which you should watch on Netflix if you haven’t already.
Paddington is one of the best adaptations of a much-loved childhood character, and is considered one of the best family movies and best Netflix movies with its 97% Rotten Tomatoes score (the sequel, Paddington 2, is rated even higher at 99%). The laugh-out-loud jokes and slapstick comedy make it a standout masterpiece on the best streaming service, thanks to the stellar British cast, which consists of Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Hugh Grant (Wonka), Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) and Imelda Staunton (The Crown), who all complete the delightful marmalade sandwich that is Paddington.
Paddington takes care of the bear
Remakes and reboots are often controversial, especially when it comes to nostalgic and legendary characters. However, Paddington persevered in the face of adversity and became a worldwide success, with Mark Kermode writing for The Guardian: “Now, perhaps most shockingly, comes the revelation that a 21st-century computer-generated big-screen bear can be every bit as endearingly entertaining as his 70s TV stop-motion counterpart. Paddington’s creator, Michael Bond, says he ‘slept soundly’ after seeing the new movie, and those in search of a family-friendly festive film treat will doubtless do the same.”
RobertEbert.com appreciated how Paddington stayed loyal to its subject matter, revealing: “Paddington, a live-action/CGI-animated take on the tales of the beloved stuffed bear, pulls off a pretty tricky balancing act. It manages to be both old-fashioned and high-tech. It remains faithful to the character’s roots while also placing him firmly within a contemporary setting. It’s charmingly funny and shamelessly punny.”
Variety also agreed as they mentioned in their review: “Fifty-six years after first appearing in print, the accident-prone Peruvian furball is brought to high-tech but thoroughly endearing life in this bright, breezy and oh-so-British family romp from writer-director Paul King and super-producer David Heyman.”
But don’t just take all their words for it, I’m sure you’ll thoroughly enjoy sinking your teeth into the delicious and vibrant treat that is Paddington on Netflix this weekend.
