Paddington 2 is the rare sequel that improves on its predecessor. Where the 2014 film introduced audiences to the bear from Darkest Peru, this one tightens the focus on family, friendship and a very specific kind of London villain. It is a comedy, an adventure, and a tribute to the power of a good sandwich. It earns its tagline: Magic. Mystery. Marmalade.
Paul King directs from a screenplay he shares with Simon Farnaby and Jon Croker, adapting the stories of Paddington Bear created by Michael Bond. The film is dedicated to Bond, and the affection shows. It is a British-French-Luxembourgish co-production, and it plays like a warm hug wrapped in a caper.
Trailer, via StudiocanalUK.
The Gift Hunt
Paddington is now settled with the Browns in Windsor Gardens, London. He has taken on a series of odd jobs — window cleaning, mostly — to save money for a gift. The gift is a pop-up book of London, bought from Samuel Gruber’s antique shop, for his aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday. He saves his wages carefully, but one night the book is stolen during a burglary at the shop.
Paddington pursues the thief, but he is framed and arrested. The thief, it turns out, is the Browns’ neighbour: Phoenix Buchanan, played by Hugh Grant. Buchanan escapes with the book, and Paddington is convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison. There is no evidence of the thief’s existence, so the charge sticks.
The Prison Kitchen
In prison, Knuckles McGinty, the prison chef, recruits Paddington to work in the kitchen after inadvertently tasting one of his marmalade sandwiches. The other inmates, Phibs and Spoon, promise to help prove Paddington’s innocence. They later reveal their true plan: to flee the country. Paddington abandons them.
Meanwhile, the Browns try to exonerate their bear. They put up sketches of the thief all over London, and they break into Buchanan’s house, where they discover a secret attic filled with costumes. The costumes include the one Buchanan wore during the burglary. They present the evidence to the police, who decline it.
The Carnival Train
Paddington uses a public telephone to contact the Browns. They inform him that Buchanan is the real thief. They arrange to meet at Paddington station, where a carnival train carrying the hidden fortune is due to depart. Paddington disguises himself as a litter collector to get on the train.
The chase sequence that follows is the film’s high point. It is a full-on action set piece, complete with a runaway vehicle, a narrow escape and a moment of genuine peril. It is also genuinely funny, because Paddington is not a trained agent. He is a bear in a litter collector’s coat who cannot drive and has never heard of a handbrake.
The Cast
Ben Whishaw voices Paddington Brown, and he gives the bear a warmth that carries the whole film. His performance is gentle, precise and consistently amusing. He makes Paddington’s naivety feel like a virtue rather than a flaw.
Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins play Henry and Mary Brown. They are the anchors of the household, and their performances are quiet and steady. Madeleine Harris appears as Judy Brown, and Samuel Joslin as Jonathan Brown. Julie Walters plays Mrs. Bird, the Browns’ housekeeper, and she brings her usual mix of sternness and warmth.
Brendan Gleeson plays Knuckles McGinty, the prison chef. Gleeson is a master of gruff charm, and he makes Knuckles a memorable character. Jim Broadbent plays Samuel Gruber, the owner of the antique shop where the book was stolen. Peter Capaldi plays Reginald Curry, and Ben Miller plays Colonel Lancaster.
Hugh Grant plays Phoenix Buchanan, and this is the performance that steals the show. Buchanan is a theatrical, scheming man who uses costumes and clues from the pop-up book to locate a hidden fortune. Grant plays him with a gleeful menace, and his scenes are the sharpest in the film. He is the villain, but he is also the funniest character on screen.
The Comedy
The film is a comedy, and it knows exactly what it is doing. The jokes land because they are built on character, not on spectacle. The prison scenes are particularly strong, with Paddington’s fellow inmates delivering some of the best lines in the film. The chase sequence is a physical comedy that works because it respects the characters’ limitations.
There is a scene where Paddington is chased through a museum by security guards, and he hides behind a painting of a bear. The timing is perfect. There is another scene where Paddington and Knuckles ride a runaway vehicle, and Paddington’s attempts to stop it are both desperate and hilarious. These moments work because the film trusts its audience to follow the logic of the situation.
The Themes
At its core, Paddington 2 is about memory and loyalty. Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday is the occasion, but the film is really about the Browns remembering why they took in Paddington in the first place. They never forget him, even when he is in trouble.
There is also a theme about identity and disguise. Buchanan uses costumes to hide his true self, but Paddington uses a disguise to get on the train. The film suggests that a costume can be a tool of deception or a tool of survival, depending on who is wearing it.
The Production
The film was confirmed to be in development in April 2015. Principal photography began in October 2016 and ended in June 2017. It was theatrically released on 10 November 2017 in the United Kingdom and on 6 December in France. It grossed $290 million.
The production design is meticulous. The film captures London with a specificity that feels lived-in. The antique shop, the prison, the museum, the train station — all of them feel like real places. The animation is used sparingly and effectively, mostly to render Paddington himself. The film is a live-action comedy with a talking bear, and the animation never calls attention to itself.
The Legacy
Paddington 2 was nominated for three BAFTAs: Outstanding British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor, for Grant. A third film, Paddington in Peru, was released in 2024.
The film stands as a reminder that a sequel does not have to repeat the past. It can build on it, deepen it and surprise it. Paddington 2 takes the bear we met in 2014 and gives him a bigger problem, a better villain and a warmer family. It is a film about memory, loyalty and the power of a good sandwich.
It is also very, very funny.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Development confirmed | April 2015 |
| Photography begins | October 2016 |
| Photography ends | June 2017 |
| UK release | 10 November 2017 |
| French release | 6 December 2017 |
| Gross | $290 million |
Paddington 2 is a triumph. It is a film that understands its characters, its setting and its audience. It is a comedy that respects its intelligence and a family film that respects its heart. It is a bear movie, but it is also a great one.
It is also very, very funny.
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