Paddington
Rent & Buy
A young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven.
What critics thought
Paddington landed as one of the bigger pleasant surprises of its year — a CGI-live-action adaptation that easily could have been a cynical cash-in but turned out warm, witty, and genuinely funny for both children and adults. Paul King's direction won consistent praise for its comic set-pieces and visual invention, though Geoffrey Macnab at The Independent voiced the main dissent: that the screenplay is too bitty and flimsy to hold those set-pieces together into a sustained whole. Nearly everyone else found that charm carried the day.
“film of considerable charm but one undermined by a very bitty and flimsy screenplay. Writer-director Paul King has more flair for comic set-pieces than he does for sustained narrative.”
Geoffrey Macnab·The Independent
“A gloriously whimsical big-screen debut that's closer to the madcap spirit of the Muppets and the lovingly rendered style of a Wes Anderson film than to standard multiplex family fodder.”
Jason Clark·Entertainment Weekly
“If the film seems head-and-shoulders above the average effects-driven family-matinee flick, it's because it never gives the impression that it's trying to be anything more (or less) than good-natured and fun to watch.”
Ignatiy Vishnevetsky·The A.V. Club
“Paddington's journey from South America to London is just droll enough for adults – qualifying as a gentle parable about xenophobia – and exuberant enough for the youngest viewers.”
Claudia Puig·USA Today
“the new CGI-live-action Paddington Bear could easily have been another garish, cheapo Brit-movie. Instead, writer-director Paul King ... and co-writer Hamish McColl have created a charming and sweet-natured family film, full of wit and fun, skewed towards young children but cheekily speckled with sly gags pitched at the older audience.”
Peter Bradshaw·The Guardian
Genres
Comedy, Adventure, Family
Cast & Crew
Paul KingDirector
Ben WhishawPaddington (voice)
Hugh BonnevilleHenry Brown
Sally HawkinsMary Brown
Madeleine HarrisJudy Brown
Samuel JoslinJonathan Brown
Julie WaltersMrs. Bird
Nicole KidmanMillicent
Imelda StauntonAunt Lucy (voice)
Peter CapaldiReginald Curry
Michael GambonUncle Pastuzo (voice)
Jim BroadbentSamuel Gruber
Madeleine WorrallAgatha Clyde
Nick UrataComposer
Michael BondWriterPaddington
A young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven.
What critics thought
Paddington landed as one of the bigger pleasant surprises of its year — a CGI-live-action adaptation that easily could have been a cynical cash-in but turned out warm, witty, and genuinely funny for both children and adults. Paul King's direction won consistent praise for its comic set-pieces and visual invention, though Geoffrey Macnab at The Independent voiced the main dissent: that the screenplay is too bitty and flimsy to hold those set-pieces together into a sustained whole. Nearly everyone else found that charm carried the day.
“film of considerable charm but one undermined by a very bitty and flimsy screenplay. Writer-director Paul King has more flair for comic set-pieces than he does for sustained narrative.”
Geoffrey Macnab·The Independent
“A gloriously whimsical big-screen debut that's closer to the madcap spirit of the Muppets and the lovingly rendered style of a Wes Anderson film than to standard multiplex family fodder.”
Jason Clark·Entertainment Weekly
“If the film seems head-and-shoulders above the average effects-driven family-matinee flick, it's because it never gives the impression that it's trying to be anything more (or less) than good-natured and fun to watch.”
Ignatiy Vishnevetsky·The A.V. Club
“Paddington's journey from South America to London is just droll enough for adults – qualifying as a gentle parable about xenophobia – and exuberant enough for the youngest viewers.”
Claudia Puig·USA Today
“the new CGI-live-action Paddington Bear could easily have been another garish, cheapo Brit-movie. Instead, writer-director Paul King ... and co-writer Hamish McColl have created a charming and sweet-natured family film, full of wit and fun, skewed towards young children but cheekily speckled with sly gags pitched at the older audience.”
Peter Bradshaw·The Guardian
Genres
Comedy, Adventure, Family
Cast & Crew
Paul KingDirectorBen WhishawPaddington (voice)Hugh BonnevilleHenry BrownSally HawkinsMary BrownMadeleine HarrisJudy BrownSamuel JoslinJonathan BrownJulie WaltersMrs. BirdNicole KidmanMillicentImelda StauntonAunt Lucy (voice)Peter CapaldiReginald CurryMichael GambonUncle Pastuzo (voice)Jim BroadbentSamuel GruberMadeleine WorrallAgatha ClydeNick UrataComposerMichael BondWriterRent & Buy