PADDINGTON Review PADDINGTON Review by Ander Egiluz Beramendi. Being Paddington a family film, intended for children but definitely also aimed at making parents have a good time; one could have expected its release -even in the U.S.- during the holiday season. However, the distribution company StudioCanal decided to postpone its American opening until January, not sure why, but definitely not fearing a box-office fiasco since the charismatic character created by Michael Bond is a safe bet. But even if the world-famous children’s literature talking-bear is already attractive enough as is: polite, funny, and full of good intentions; turning the pages of a book (and the episodes of a cartoon TV show) into a full-length movie with actors is always a challenge. Even more if this is your second film and the first one in five years, as it was the case for director Paul King. As such, not only did he pass the test, but he also did a great job. The pace at which the story progresses, the balance between scenes of humor, tenderness and action; the details of the backdrop landscape (like the Lost and Found sign at the train station) are really well accomplished. However, the film lacks originality and the story is too predictable. And, to be honest, when one goes to see a childhood classic, I think one expects something more. Nevertheless, the film works for kids thanks to the easily relatable characters, an overall simplistic humor (with a couple of good quips that will make everybody laugh, no matter what), and a charming protagonist. Likewise, the fact that it has a good moral background –be kind to those that are different− will please parents, even if it has been rated PG (so was Frozen for instance, and it was an absolute blockbuster). The cast does a good job, from Sally Hawkins and Hugh Bonneville (Mr. And Mrs. Brown, respectively, the adopting parents of Paddington) to Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin (daughter and son Julie and Jonathan Brown), and Julie Walters (the grandmother). Nicole Kidman, in her role as Millicent, a XXI century Cruella De Vil, fits well too. All in all, Paddington fulfills its promise as an entertaining family film that will probably do reasonably well at the box office. PADDINGTON is now playing in theaters nationwide.
