Movie Review : Paddington by Paul King

About Paddington

Paddington is a 2014 British comedy film, directed by Paul King, written by King and Hamish McColl, and produced by David Heyman. Based on Paddington Bear by Michael Bond, the film stars Ben Whishaw as the voice of the title character, along with Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, and Nicole Kidman in live-action roles. It was released in the United Kingdom on 28 November 2014 and received positive reviews from film critics.

My notes on Paddington

Movie Review by Jason Javier

1. Why do these foreign movies now start with a disclaimer from the distributor explaining why the version you're about to watch got mutilated? It's not like we had a choice to begin with. (Ok, illegal downloads but don't be such a smart-ass.)

2. I still couldn't understand why the movie filled with British characters had to be dubbed by local actor Xian Lim. It didn't add anything to the final product. It wasn't like Paddington had to say a few Tagalog phrases. He actually ended up sounding like a Pinoy Harry Potter with a wobbly accent. Or a distant relative who lived in London for a few months and suddenly had a bloody faux British accent.

3. The mostly English cast was superb. Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, all it needed was a few more Downton Abbey players. And then there was Nicole Kidman.

4. To be honest, I was baffled by the glowing reviews for this movie. Maybe I was just too old and cranky to watch something so juvenile. I know it was primarily aimed at kids but if your idea of humor was a bear sticking toothbrushes in his ear then licking the earwax off before a human character actually used one to brush his teeth, then you might enjoy this.

5. The trench coat on Paddington reminded me so much of streakers. He could be the nicer cousin of Ted.

6. Two scenes were straight out of the Mission Impossible movies and I have to say Kidman did it better than Cruise.

7. I liked the bit explaining how parents suddenly become overprotective of their kids. If only the film focused more on the heart instead of the crass.

8. The movie did make me crave for marmalade. Wait, is that different from jam? Or jelly? Either way, I need a jar now.

Movie Rate : ★★☆☆☆