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Paddington (2014)
Director: Paul King
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Nicole Kidman, Paddington
Genre: Comedy Family
After his jungle home is destroyed, a young Peruvian bear who can talk, journeys to London to find a new home. Lost, cold and alone he meets the kindly Brown family who take him in for one night only.
I really was looking forward to seeing this. I thought it would be a heart warming, family movie based on the children's classic Paddington books. Boy was I wrong!
This is a family comedy with a PG rating, so this should be great for little tykes, right? Wrong!...what we get is a scary Nicole Kidman who captures a small monkey with plans of killing it and stuffing it for the museum. Then you guessed it, she chases poor Paddington around, with similar evil plans. What's wrong with modern film makers that they have to 'ramp up' a movie just to sell more tickets. Not only is the mad scientist, Nicole Kidman scary for little kids, it's a stupid, lazy plot twist. Which is too bad because in the first part of the story the drama and conflict comes from Paddington not knowing how human society works, while he desperately wants to fit in and that could have been the entire basis for the story while providing a good morality tale for children.
I did instantly like the Brown family and their cool looking house with it's colorful walls and a huge painted tree that was neat. The house set was the best part of the film. Each room had it's own vivid decor.
Sally Hawkins is always a joy to see in films, she makes a great mom here. I wish she had more screen time. Dad (Hugh Bonneville) who seems like a Colin Firth stand in, was also good as the stern but loving father. The kid actors were also good and never annoying or overly cutesy. Most importantly the character of Paddington came alive through the special effects and the voice actor...I could believe he was real!
I heard of little kids being scared by this film, so it's best for us big kids
Director: Paul King
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Nicole Kidman, Paddington
Genre: Comedy Family
After his jungle home is destroyed, a young Peruvian bear who can talk, journeys to London to find a new home. Lost, cold and alone he meets the kindly Brown family who take him in for one night only.
I really was looking forward to seeing this. I thought it would be a heart warming, family movie based on the children's classic Paddington books. Boy was I wrong!
This is a family comedy with a PG rating, so this should be great for little tykes, right? Wrong!...what we get is a scary Nicole Kidman who captures a small monkey with plans of killing it and stuffing it for the museum. Then you guessed it, she chases poor Paddington around, with similar evil plans. What's wrong with modern film makers that they have to 'ramp up' a movie just to sell more tickets. Not only is the mad scientist, Nicole Kidman scary for little kids, it's a stupid, lazy plot twist. Which is too bad because in the first part of the story the drama and conflict comes from Paddington not knowing how human society works, while he desperately wants to fit in and that could have been the entire basis for the story while providing a good morality tale for children.
I did instantly like the Brown family and their cool looking house with it's colorful walls and a huge painted tree that was neat. The house set was the best part of the film. Each room had it's own vivid decor.
Sally Hawkins is always a joy to see in films, she makes a great mom here. I wish she had more screen time. Dad (Hugh Bonneville) who seems like a Colin Firth stand in, was also good as the stern but loving father. The kid actors were also good and never annoying or overly cutesy. Most importantly the character of Paddington came alive through the special effects and the voice actor...I could believe he was real!
I heard of little kids being scared by this film, so it's best for us big kids