Review of Paddington 2

Last Saturday, I went to see a preview of Paddington 2 with my 3-year old. This was his first “real” movie. He has been to see cartoons before but not a movie with actual actors. I was interested to see how he would do. If the movie would hold his attention or if he would ask to leave; he has asked to leave before at other movies which shall remain nameless. It turned out that he loved it and I also loved the movie. I even teared up at the end!

First off, I will say that you don’t have to see the first Paddington movie to enjoy Paddington 2. I didn’t see the first movie and that didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all.

What Happens

In the movie, Paddington wants to buy a present for his Aunt and gets a job so that he can afford it. The gift gets stolen and Paddington gives chase to try to recover it. The thief gets away and Paddington gets accused of stealing the item and gets sent to jail. Of course, it is a kid’s movie, so the end is predictable but the journey to get there is fun nonetheless.

What I Liked

Parents will appreciate that the acting in the movie is actually quite good. As I knew nothing about the movie or the actors before arriving at the theater, I was surprised to see Hugh Grant portraying one of the characters in the movie.  He gave a great performance as an over-the-top has-been actor. For those of you who like the British show Ab Fab, you will be excited to see that Joanna Lumley makes an appearance as Hugh Grant’s agent. While I didn’t recognize the actors who portrayed the The members of the Brown family

I also liked the movie was good old-fashioned family fun. There was no gratuitous skin showing, no violence, no curse words of any kind. It is a movie that you could take the whole family to and not have to worry and even-more-so they will enjoy.

Go or No Go

I enthusiastically recommend Paddington as a great option for a family night out.