Ten Stars or Less

Paddington has to be one of my favorite book characters brought to life. When the first movie came out in 2014, I was in attendance on opening night and I even got one of the posters at home. This sequel was definitely in my top five most anticipated movies of 2018, and it didn’t disappoint at all. (And yes, if you’ve already seen it and wondered if I cried…I did.) Surrounded by an amazing cast of British actors/actresses, Paddington is set up for a crime that lands him in jail for a decade. Breaking and entering doesn’t seem like it would carry such a harsh penalty, but to add more dramatics to the story they locked this lovable bear up for a long time. This hilarious story is all about clearing an innocent bear’s name, which is packed with one funny situation/joke after another. Hugh Grant is the perfect antagonist here because he’s played so many different roles in his career, that he’s believable as a thief of many disguises. Paddington goes from working class citizen who wants to make money to buy a gift to a fish out of water in prison, only to show everyone there the brighter side of life. You’ll laugh and you’ll cry, because Paddington 2 is really a fantastic movie that will be loved by everyone in attendance. The misadventures of a bear from Darkest Peru have been a hit on the big screen and if they can continue to make movies as great as this one, I totally support the future. 9.5/10