There are movies that take you until the end to get into. There are movies that entertain you in the theater and only the theater. Then there are movies that give you the widest, cheek-aching grin, from frame one till the end of the credits. Those are the best movies, and "Paddington" is one of that kind.
When an earthquake forces a young bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) out of his Peruvian home, he treks to London, where he hopes to find an explorer who visited Peru 40 years ago, befriended his aunt and uncle, and promised them a warm welcome if they were to ever visit. Lost and alone, the bear is picked up by the Brown family, who name him Paddington (after the train station), and assist in his search for the explorer and a place to call home.
Talking bears, trans-Atlantic travel, and adventurous explorers...and I've yet to mention Paddington's love (bordering on obsession) for marmalade or the psychotic taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) hunting him for her collection. This is weird: the kind of weird Mad Libs seems to be made for. But somehow, it all melds together. The script, adapted from the popular children's book series, is so comfortable in this world, and the movie follows suit. There are no winks to the audience, and the movie's immersive as a result.
"Paddington" is childlike. Its colors are saturated, sets vibrant, and cinematography exciting, some of the most playful I've seen in years. The world is magic and silly, but never to the point of a cartoon. It's not hard to imagine that with a few tweaks and scientific discoveries that this world could be our own, and the clash of realism and imagination blends so well.
In no way does this feel like the product of focus groups. "Paddington" spreads variety without losing energy: its comedy ranges from outrageous slapstick to titter-inducing dialogue. Each scene is carefully crafted, and I find myself marveling at the combo of writing/editing/animation that manages to get the biggest laugh, every time.
A cornucopia of British greats are here: Jim Broadbent, Michael Gambon, Peter Capaldi, Imelda Staunton, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville. Standouts include Nicole Kidman's taxidermist (think Cruella De Vil mixed with Victor Frankenstein) and Julie Walters as the wild, caring badass, Mrs. Bird. They're casted and fit in the story perfectly. No one overstays their welcome, and all do inspired, charming, sometimes surprising work.
There are surprises, but "Paddington", as a whole, feels familiar: like a classic bedtime story. However, where "Star Wars" is the shining example of "the hero's journey", "Paddington" achieves the same in "finding where you belong." Driven by childlike imagination, it transcends the tropes and limitations of a kids' film, and becomes thoughtful, wholesome entertainment. This is the kind of film that makes it into personal collections, and I wouldn't be surprised if years down the line, future critics will refer to this as a hallmark of their childhoods. So if the debate for a family movie this weekend lies between "Paddington" and "Strange Magic", I'm not saying "don't see the Epic meets Frozen mashup the world never asked for," just see "Paddington" first. Thank you all for reading; I'm the Man Without a Plan, signing off.
No comments:
Post a Comment