Paddington 2

Effervescently blossoming in tender loving communal kindness, young Paddington (Ben Whishaw) adorably finds his first job.

And second job.

In need of a large sum to buy his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) the perfect present, he nurtures his latent entrepreneurial ardour, then cleverly earns cold hard shenanigan exalting cash.

He's become a humble celebrity in his neighbourhood and generally generates warmth and good cheer as he happily passes through.

The Browns have kept up their adventurous spirits, projects and pastimes passionately invigorating their days, knowledge acquired accumulating constructive dividends, a salute to the curious and the inquisitive, the bold and the studious contemplatively bustling away.

But diabolical storm clouds lugubriously hang over their enlightening endeavours, after Paddington attempts to catch a thief and winds up wrongfully accused of the crime.

It's off to prison for the young spectacled bear.

A community in shock.

A family in weeping.

Yet as good manners win Paddington unexpected accolades in jail, Mrs. Brown (Sally Hawkins) begins covertly sleuthing, quickly discovering clues and other investigatory aids, which all point in a famous actor's direction.

I thought it was odd to see Paddington doing hard time at first, but as his overflowing innocent goodwill genuinely charmed the hardened convicts, I couldn't help feeling warm and gooey inside, as if I had purchased marmalade flavoured poptopia.

It was still strange that a bear so young, still practically a cub in fact, had to take to the streets to find work, and was then sent to prison shortly thereafter, as if his example was inadvertently critiquing a lack of British child labour laws, or perhaps metaphorically reflecting upon extant predicaments that still thrive in England's impoverished underground, wherein lads and lasses try as they might to study and find work related to their education, but can never outflank an unacknowledged caste system?

Paddington could have gone to school for instance, or studied at home with Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters).

Nonetheless, it is a heartwarming film, even if warm hearts are scorched in conflict, a convivial family friendly multifaceted matriculation, exonerated by pluck and unabashed good nature, motivated by vigour, and brought to life through the power of bears.

Always keep your distance from real life bears you know.

Instances where bears attack humans are rare.

But if one does, you're bound to hear about it in the papers.

Although moments of cute bear-related cuddles often find themselves making headlines as well.

Headlines!

Paddington

Deep in the jungles of darkest Peru, a family of spectacled bears have learned to interact domestically from an adventurous British geographer, spending their time conversing in English while feasting on marmalade, science having been environmentally harmonized with their surroundings, the curious and the coddling, perching merriment's full bloom.

But tragedy strikes as an earthquake shatters their domain, and a loved one is lost, to unforgiving geologic caprice.

The youngest family member, having learned that if he arrives in London he's bound to be looked after by that very same geographer, sets out for the United Kingdom, luck and ingenuity aiding him on his way.

Upon arrival, he meets a kind family who agrees to help him, the husband, begrudgingly, the wife, hospitably, the son, ecstatically, the daughter, morosely.

Comic trials and errors then flourish, as a mystery invites sleuthing, and an evil taxidermist comes 'a callin.'

Set on vengeance and destruction.

What follows is a funny, charming, pleasantly peculiar tale of growth and discovery as a family comes together as one.

Through the power of bears.

Highlights: Paddington (Ben Wishaw) accidentally catches a pickpocket, young Judy (Madeleine Harris) learns to speak bear, whenever Paddington eats something, Mrs. Brown's (Sally Hawkins) outfits, Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters) tying one on, pigeons, baguette sandwiches, the emphasis on codes, manners, heart warmth.

The benefits of learning a Chinese dialect are also mentioned, the relations between youth and age are playfully cross-examined, creative multistep mischievous refinements abound, and there's a focus on understanding, nurtured through well being.

Paddington doesn't really look like a spectacled bear but there could be some variation within the species I'm unaware of.

And he's still young.

Costume design by Lindy Hemming.

You can still interact domestically while speaking bear.

Solid bear sounds.

Loved the alliteration.