Film Review: Paddington

On Monday I mentioned that after we'd visited Caerphilly Castle and my Nan's we took a trip to the cinema to see Paddington. I'd not heard much about the film, apart from my Aunt telling me that she'd been to see it and had enjoyed it, so I didn't really know what to expect.

I will admit, the fact that one of the adverts in the run up to the film starting was for Peppa Pig did have me wondering if perhaps we were making a mistake. I was slightly reassured by the fact that despite there being several groups of people at the showing, only one or two of them had actually brought children with them. I needn't have worried. It was a really lovely film.

Paddington is the film about everyone's favourite marmalade sandwich scoffing bear. In the distant past his aunt and uncle met a British explorer who, after a disaster destroys their home, Paddington's aunt decides to send him to find. Paddington arrives in London and soon makes the acquaintance of the Brown family who (temporarily) take him in, but find that they care about him a lot more than they realised when an evil taxidermist is out to get him.

It's such a sweet little film with just as much in it for the adults as for the children. If you're familiar with the Paddington stories then you kind of know that nothing truly bad will happen to the lovable little bear, but that doesn't mean that you're not on the edge of your seat at many moments throughout the film.

Although the poster up the top says Colin Firth is the voice of Paddington, he was actually replaced at the eleventh hour by Ben Wishaw. At a couple of points during the film I found myself trying to imagine Paddington voiced by Firth and I just couldn't do it. Wishaw definitely fitted the cute little bear who has learned English through old records.

I liked the way that throughout the film there were little bit that were mentioned in the beginning and came back into play at crucial moments; Mrs Brown's work illustrating a book, Judy's ability to learn languages (including Bear) and Jonathan's skills in science and construction. At the time they seemed like throwaway comments but then they popped up again and you couldn't help but think 'oh, I see what they've done there'.

I also loved the Brown's house. I want to live there. It's just beautiful. I especially liked the tree on the wall and the way that it changed at a couple of important points in the film. Besides, the Doctor lives right next door.

Peter Capaldi basically plays his character, Mr Curry, as a crazy/grump/Doctor-like sort of person. I do love the way he falls in love with Nicole Kidman's Millicent. The highlight has to be when he brings her dying flowers that he found tied to a lamppost since no one else seemed to want them!

I think that it's one of those films that will stand up to repeat viewing. I definitely want to see it again because I bet that there are bits that I missed this time around. Also, Paddington is seriously cute and I wouldn't really mind if a little teddy bear showed up on my doorstep with a tag saying 'Please look after this bear'. I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Definitely one that I'm hoping to add to my film collection in the future!