Paddington (2014)

*** out of ****

I saw a trailer for “Paddington” quite some time ago, the one where the little bear destroys the bathroom at a London home. Honestly I didn't think it looked too compelling, probably something the little kids would like but not have much to offer an adult audience. Surprisingly, it turns out to be something a bit more than that.

Decades ago a British explorer visited “darkest Peru” (and it is ALWAYS described in the film as “darkest Peru”), where he was amazed to find a couple of talking bears. He introduces them to what becomes their favorite food (orange marmalade) and tells them all about wartime and postwar London. They all become great friends and he invites them to London, telling them they'll always be welcome in his city, then disappears never to return.

Fast forward a few decades and the couple of bears have an accident-prone youngster (the title character, Paddington), but they are very happy with one another and with their place in the world. That is until a nearby volcano erupts, destroying their home and killing the father, and the youngster is stowed away on a local ship to London to try to find their old explorer friend. He has no idea of the explorer's name, but has his stories of life in London to go by. He is fortunate to be temporarily taken in by a well-to-do family who is willing to help him look for the explorer, and he spends a lot of his time dodging a museum taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) that is bent on stuffing and mounting him.

The thing I liked about “Paddington” is that is doesn't offer any big “messages”. It isn't an allegory on racism or any kind of social commentary, it's just a nice little story about a bear that overcomes to try to find a place in the world. It's funny and heartfelt, and if you aren't completely cynical it's also really cute. It pokes a little fun a middle-class attitudes but that is never a centerpoint. And though I really have never been a fan of Nicole Kidman (the only films I really ever liked her in were “Dead Calm” (1989) and “My Life” (1993)) she is absolutely great as the villainous taxidermist.

If you're looking for something deep this isn't the right film. But if you like a straight-ahead lovely family film, if you cried at “Charlotte's Web” or constantly quote “The Princess Bride”, you'll love “Paddington”. It really is a lot of fun.