I hadn’t seen the Paddington movies until earlier this year in the lead-up to Paddington in Peru. I had heard a ton of praise for the second film from both critics and Pedro Pascal in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and after being utterly charmed by director Paul King’s Wonka, I was excited to check them out. Thankfully, it’s a movie that absolutely lives up to the hype, and having revisited it thanks to the new Paddington 2 4K release from Warner Bros., it’s still an utter delight to rewatch.
“Paddington, now happily settled with the Brown family in Windsor Gardens, has become a popular member of the community, spreading joy and marmalade wherever he goes. While searching for the perfect present for his beloved Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday, Paddington spots a unique pop-up book in Mr. Gruber’s antique shop, and embarks on a series of odd jobs to buy it. Hilarity and adventure ensues when the book is stolen and Paddington and the Browns must unmask the thief,” says the synopsis.
I was charmed by the original Paddington, and the sequel builds upon a winning formula by adding even more heart and humor. At the core of what makes the film so special is a fantastic performance by Hugh Grant, who plays the villainous Phoenix Buchanan, and a stellar supporting role from the great Brendan Gleeson in an extended standout prison sequence. Of course, Ben Whishaw and the visual effects team do a stellar job of bringing Paddington to life as well, who is simply just one of the most likable characters to ever grace the silver screen (and if you disagree, you’ll get a hard stare from me).
There’s so much to love about the movie, which looks great on 4K with HDR as it uses the same transfer as StudioCanal’s collection in the UK, but one aspect I’ve come to really admire is the sense of community it has. King does a great job of bringing back characters from the first film in small ways and showing how Paddington has become an essential part of his neighborhood. Once thrown in prison, we see how much the bear is missed and how wonderful an impact he’s had in turning neighbors into friends. Like a lot of the film, it’s very aspirational, and the world would simply be a better place if we helped one another like the well-meaning bear does.
The Paddington 2 4K release features a solid amount of bonus content, as everything from the Blu-ray has been carried over. This includes an excellent commentary track by King, who has some great stories from filming and reveals how collaborative the process is with making Paddington feel truly alive in the film. There are also seven videos, which range from an instructional video teaching you how to make a marmalade sandwich (can’t wait to try out that recipe) to highlighting the performances of Grant and Gleeson in the film.
Paddington 2 4K Review: Final Verdict
The Paddington 4K release is an easy recommendation as it is simply one of the best family films released in the 21st century. With Dolby Vision and HDR10 support, the colorful film looks great in ultra-high definition and features all of the bonus features from its prior release. There’s no downside to upgrading, and it’s certainly the best version of the film to own in the US.
Disclosure: ComingSoon received product from the distributor for our Paddington 2 4K review.
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