Packing even more charm, warmth & cinematic goodness than last time around, the follow-up chapter to Paddington is an improvement upon its already pleasant & incessantly delightful predecessor and delivers another pure, funny & enjoyable escapism entertainment to finish as one of the most endearing films of the year.

The story of Paddington 2 follows the anthropomorphic bear who’s now happily settled in the Brown family household and has become a rather popular member of the local community. But things change when a unique pop-up book he intends to gift his aunt on her birthday is stolen and he is wrongfully convicted for the crime.

Co-written & directed by Paul King, the film retains all the heartiness & wonderful flavours of the first film and builds a sweet, joyous & mesmerising story on top of that. As before, King keeps the premise simple and infuses it with plenty of heart & sweetness without overdoing any of it. Add to that, the narrative flow is smooth throughout.

Spreading endless joy & marmalades no matter where he goes, the eponymous bear feels more human than most humans and through him, the film exquisitely underlines the importance & beauty of basic human decency. Just like last time, King doesn’t go in-your-face with the themes but does offer a peek at the world we’d be living in if we treated everyone with kindness.

The visual aesthetic of the film is similar to Wes Anderson’s features but it suits the story well. Cinematography adds more colours to the palette while utilising clever angles & controlled movements to capture the unfolding events. Editing keeps the plot lean & pacing brisk. The background score adds warmness of its own into the mix. And the playful sense of humour never loses its effectiveness.

Coming to the performances, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, the two kids reprise their role of the Brown family. Ben Whishaw also returns as the voice of the titular bear and is more relaxed this time. The new additions include Brendan Gleeson & Hugh Grant, both of whom leave a solid impression and play their part brilliantly, especially the latter who simply embraces his character and runs with it.

On an overall scale, Paddington 2 is an affectionately crafted, elegantly narrated & sincerely performed sequel that finds its cast n crew at the apex of their game, and scores top marks in all aspects of storytelling. A cuddly, cushy & comfortable family-friendly extravaganza that’s touching, compassionate & genuine in all the right ways, Paddington 2 is amongst the better films of the year and is every bit worthy of all the love & accolades it has garnered so far. Definitely recommended.

★★★★