Paddington ‘can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone’

By Rafael Abreu
Staff Writer

Based on the British children’s book character, “Paddington” is a live action film chronicling the titular bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw, going from Darkest, Peru to London, England, seeking a new home. One needs not prior knowledge of the character in order to see or enjoy the film; it sets things up at the beginning and is essentially an origin story, while also coming up with its own unique plot.

“Paddington” is a family film, but like the best films in this genre, it can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone. The humor in the film is neither dumbed down nor too smart for any person of any age, featuring slapstick and dry comedy in a number of ways, sometimes even mixing the two styles.

Being a British film, dry humor is to be expected, or at least understood; however, it could come off as being “too British.” Still, since the character and stories are of British origin, it only makes sense. Of course, this is actually great news for fans of British humor, as they will no doubt enjoy the dry wit.

But like I said, it’s a family film, so the children will easily enjoy Paddington himself and the antics he gets into. There are also other moments of comedy that arise from self-awareness and the defying of some expectations.

The way Paul King directs the film is also pretty unique, generally placing the camera in a position, keeping it still and using the widescreen ratio to give a good composition of the scene. “Paddington” is definitely well shot, and as a result, is always enjoyable to look at.

The film even utilizes flashbacks exceptionally well by making many of them come off as dream sequences: they make their point and leave just as soon as they had shown up. This is also an aspect of the film’s comedy, since many aside moments, or even just small things one may not notice, bring on the film’s biggest laughs.

A film like “Paddington” wouldn’t be as great as it is without also having some sort of soul, either. Themes about family and xenophobia are abound in “Paddington,” and if you’re really sentimental, certain things might bring a tear to your eye.

At the core of “Paddington” is the relationship between the bear and the Brown family, who look after Paddington and try to figure out his situation. Without giving much away, the relationship that forms between them, while doing a few things I feel I’ve seen before, strengthens and is vital to the film’s success.

The humor and warmth of the film wouldn’t really exist without the soul that clearly is at the core of “Paddington.”

I would have never guessed that this film would wind up being one of my favorites of the past year. In fact, I wouldn’t have seen it if a friend of mine hadn’t recommended it.

Now, glad to have seen and enjoyed it, I pass the recommendation onto you. It’s an excellent film that anyone of any age can appreciate, whether it’s for the warmth of the story, the hilarious comedy or both.