Paddington 2

I didn't see the first one, but was brought into the fold with the family at Christmas time. I wasn't expecting much. What I saw was a children's film that didn't insult one's intelligence. I remember Paddington from when I sold the books at a bookstore and the little bears (at exorbitant prices). The principle character is kind and believable. The supporting cast carries on in the world of Paddington. The scenes in the prison are hilarious, but he is always directing his efforts at being cleared of the crime for which he is accused. The plot is sophisticated without being maudlin or predictable. I will take an opportunity to watch the first one.

Loved the first 'Paddington', was not sure whether that would be the case but it turned out to be one of that year's biggest surprises and delights. Was enthused about hearing that there was a sequel with the same crew returning, always a plus when it comes to sequels, but there was the concern as to whether it would fall victim to "sequel-titis".

Very luckily, 'Paddington 2' does not fall victim to that. It is one of not many sequels to actually be equal in quality to its predecessor and come close to being even better. It maintains all of 'Paddington's' heart, fun and charm, maintaining everything that made that film so good, and even builds on that appeal. For such a hit-and-miss year and seeing my fair share of overblown big-budget blockbusters with little soul, films that waste great premises and films that attempted laugh-a-minute laughs and doing it in a way that came at the expense of heart, 'Paddington 2' was a much needed refreshment. Not saying at all that it has been a completely bad year, actually there have been very good to great films, just that 'Paddington 2' stood out in the best of ways in recent weeks.

Maybe it could have been ever so slightly longer and would have again liked to have seen more of Mr Curry and his acrimonious relationship with Paddington. Everything else is magic.

'Paddington 2' once again looks great. It's beautifully shot and vibrant in design with a little bit of grit and Paddington as to be expected couldn't have looked more perfect. The music score is suitably soothing, rousing and whimsical, while the direction keeps things moving at a bright and breezy pace. A pace that never slows down but doesn't ever feel too hasty either.

Scripting is also spot on. The comedic moments are incredibly funny, the best of it hilarious, with rapid-fire wit, endearing quirkiness, clever gags that don't feel like pale retreads of before and perfectly pitched misunderstandings and physical comedy. Underneath all the humour and the darker and more suspenseful mystery/action-oriented elements of the story is a big heart and strong emotional core, with some lovely inspiring messaging and values that are very much current and some touching parts. It's also incredibly intelligent, not many films this year have treated its audience with the amount of respect that 'Paddington 2' has, and has such an endearing innocence.

A large part of that is the character of Paddington himself. Can't fault his design or Ben Whishaw's beautiful voice acting, nor can one fault his truly adorable personality, absolutely love how he tries to still remain even in the grimmest of situations and he is easy to root for and love throughout. The story may on the slight side structurally but has a lot going on, without being cluttered, that makes it very much eventful and to me there weren't any tonal issues.

Every ounce of the heart, charm and fun seen in 'Paddington' is here and everybody gets a chance to shine, especially Mr Brown and Mrs Bird of Paddington's family. The new characters are great additions, with a superior villain and the character of the cook Knuckles being one of the film's nicest surprises. Only Mr Curry could have been done better.

Performances across the board are great. Hugh Bonneville balances comedy and drama with ease, Sally Hawkins is compassionate and Julie Walters is a hoot. Jim Broadbent is always a welcome presence and the younger actors are appealing. Brendan Gleeson excels in a departure role, a dramatic actor in a more comedic role in a family-friendly film could have gone wrong but Gleeson brings a curmudgeonly charm and great comic timing. Hugh Grant is also cast against type and brilliantly sends up himself and the world of acting. This is Paddington's film though.

Overall, an absolute delight and refreshing. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I loved "Paddington" and - to my delight - I loved "Paddington 2" too.

Of course, we start with the adorable character created by Michael Bond (who died between the release of the two films), the brilliant CGI representation of our furry friend, and the purr-fect voicing by Ben Wishaw. This is such a British franchise with so very many British character actors (OK, and one Irish) and so many London locations, although this is the kind of gentle London that we saw in "Notting Hill" (most notably in the prison scenes). Indeed the villain this time is less threatening than Nicole Kidman's character in the first film and played brilliantly by the ever-so- English star of "Notting Hill", Hugh Grant, who - following his success in "Florence Foster Jenkins" - shows that he is not just a pretty face.

The film is endlessly inventive, not least in bringing to life a pop-up book of London landmarks which is at the heart of the plot, and it is stuffed full of visual gags as well as so many funny lines, a few aimed at adult viewers rather than little ones. My granddaughter (almost seven) found it delightful with one of her favourite scenes being Paddington's window-cleaning efforts. Be sure to stay for the credits - a final delight in 100 happy minutes.

I wept throughout the whole movie. A life changing experience. It is truly a masterpiece. Number three favorite film... the first two being face off and caligari of course.

The reason I saw "Paddington 2" is pretty unusual. As I watched the new Nicholas Cage film "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent", I laughed when Cage and his friend, Javi, were talking about the three greatest films of all-time...and Javi placed "Paddington 2" on the list! I just had to see this family movie after hearing that!

Now, before I watched "Paddington 2", I also watched the first Paddington film....and throroughly enjoyed both...especially "Paddington 2". Why? Well, unlike the first, "Paddington 2" tried much harder to be cuter, sweeter and, most importantly, made the villain a LOT less menacing and awful than the villain in the first movie. Overall, a delightful family film which is pretty much impossible to dislike.