Paddington

MPAA Rating: PG for mild action and rude humor.
Run Time: 95 Minutes
My Rating: 4/5
So today I went and saw TWC-Dimension's Paddington based on the timeless children's classics of the same name.  The film stars Nicole Kidman (Before I Go to Sleep), Ben Wishaw (Skyfall), Imelda Staunton (Maleficient), and  Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey). The film tells the story of Paddington, a young Peruvian bear who travels to London in search for a home.  After he arrives he finds himself alone and homeless until the Brown family takes him in for the night.  Just as he becomes accustomed to London lifestyle, he finds himself in the cross-hairs of a psychopathic taxidermist.
I personally was quite surprised by this film.  When I first saw the trailer for this film, I was not impressed.  I had absolutely no desire to see this film, but I received a request to review this film and personally I am really pleased that I did.  There were so many great things to like about this film and during the film I just couldn't help but smile.  First off, there is a lot of humor in this film.  Not only is there a lot of humor, but it is humor that all of us can relate to.  Each and every one of us has had a time where we have had to become accustomed to a new situation.  Just last summer my wife and I traveled to England and getting used to the customs there made for hilarious experiences.  Though not all of us have had to get accustomed to the customs of other countries, but every time we move or do something different there are things that we just have to get used to.  This is the kind of humor that Paddington offers, which personally I found both hilarious and something that I could relate to.  Another thing that this film brings is great animation when it comes to Paddington himself.  I always am impressed when studios can put live action and animation together in the same film and Paddington is no different.  The animation comes out as a spectacular product. Finally probably my favorite thing about Paddington is the fact that this film has one of the scariest kids-friendly villain that I have seen in a long time.  Nicole Kidman does a fantastic job as a taxidermist seeking revenge.  She balances the kid-friendly aspect with psychopathic villain perfectly.  This is the most ingenious villain in a while and there is something truly evil about her that you usually don't see in family films.  This gave the film the added boost that it needed.
Though the film had a lot of things going for it, there was just one thing that I really didn't like.  I just couldn't get into the story completely.  There were times where I was kind of bored and I couldn't figure out how it was all going to tie together.
Overall though, I thought the film was great.  I will definitely watch this film again.  Kids will really enjoy this film and adults will appreciate the humor as well.  However adults may get a little bored like I did.  I would recommend this film though if you are in search of just a good, clean family movie.  This film will not disappoint and like it did for me it may even surprise you.

Well thanks again for reading!! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas just let me know!!