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'''''Paddington''''' is a 2014 British [[comedy film]], directed by [[Paul King (director)|Paul King]], written by King and [[Hamish McColl]], and produced by [[David Heyman]]. Based on ''[[Paddington Bear]]'' by [[Michael Bond]], the film stars [[Ben Whishaw]] as the voice of the title character, along with [[Hugh Bonneville]], [[Sally Hawkins]], [[Julie Walters]], and [[Nicole Kidman]] in live-action roles. It was released in the United Kingdom on 28 November 2014 among positive reviews from film critics.
'''''Paddington''''' is a 2014 British [[comedy film]], directed by [[Paul King (director)|Paul King]], written by King and [[Hamish McColl]], and produced by [[David Heyman]]. Based on ''[[Paddington Bear]]'' by [[Michael Bond]], the film stars [[Ben Whishaw]] as the voice of the title character, along with [[Hugh Bonneville]], [[Sally Hawkins]], [[Julie Walters]], and [[Nicole Kidman]] in live-action roles. It was released in the United Kingdom on 28 November 2014 among positive reviews from film critics.


==Plot==
==Plot (spolier alert)==
In the deep jungles of darkest [[Peru]], a geographer named Montgomery Clyde locates a family of semi-intelligent bears, who he realises can learn English and have a deep appetite for [[marmalade]]. He tells them they are always welcome should they wish to go to [[United Kingdom|Britain]]. The bears, who are named Lucy and Pastuzo, live in harmony with their nephew. One day, an earthquake strikes their home, forcing them to seek shelter underground. Pastuzo is unable to reach the shelter after being distracted from his home being destroyed and disappears (Paddington retrieves his hat), and Lucy encourages her nephew to go and find solace in [[London]] while she moves into a retirement home for old bears.
In the deep jungles of darkest [[Peru]], a geographer named Montgomery Clyde locates a family of semi-intelligent bears, who he realises can learn English and have a deep appetite for [[marmalade]]. He tells them they are always welcome should they wish to go to [[United Kingdom|Britain]]. The bears, who are named Lucy and Pastuzo, live in harmony with their nephew. One day, an earthquake strikes their home, forcing them to seek shelter underground. Pastuzo is unable to reach the shelter after being distracted from his home being destroyed and disappears (Paddington retrieves his hat), and Lucy encourages her nephew to go and find solace in [[London]] while she moves into a retirement home for old bears.


Revision as of 17:59, 29 March 2015

Paddington
UK release poster
Directed byPaul King
Screenplay by
Produced byDavid Heyman
Starring
CinematographyErik Wilson
Edited byMark Everson
Music byNick Urata
Production
companies
Distributed byStudioCanal
Release date
  • 28 November 2014 (2014-11-28)
Running time
95 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • France
LanguageEnglish
Budget€38.5 million ($50–55 million)
Box office$252.9 million[2]

Paddington is a 2014 British comedy film, directed by Paul King, written by King and Hamish McColl, and produced by David Heyman. Based on Paddington Bear by Michael Bond, the film stars Ben Whishaw as the voice of the title character, along with Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, and Nicole Kidman in live-action roles. It was released in the United Kingdom on 28 November 2014 among positive reviews from film critics.

Plot (spolier alert)

In the deep jungles of darkest Peru, a geographer named Montgomery Clyde locates a family of semi-intelligent bears, who he realises can learn English and have a deep appetite for marmalade. He tells them they are always welcome should they wish to go to Britain. The bears, who are named Lucy and Pastuzo, live in harmony with their nephew. One day, an earthquake strikes their home, forcing them to seek shelter underground. Pastuzo is unable to reach the shelter after being distracted from his home being destroyed and disappears (Paddington retrieves his hat), and Lucy encourages her nephew to go and find solace in London while she moves into a retirement home for old bears.

The young bear reaches London but fails to find a home, until he is taken in briefly by the Brown family, who name him Paddington. Henry Brown is adamant that Paddington stay only one night while they find a place for him to live permanently. Paddington causes a series of accidents across the house which lead the family to further ostracise him. Paddington believes he can find a home with the explorer who found them, Montgomery Clyde. The Browns find out that Paddington's hat, given to him by Pastuzo, is in fact Clyde's hat and valuable artefact, and thus they take it to an antique store to locate Clyde.

Meanwhile, a sadistic museum taxidermist Millicent captures and stuffs exotic animals to house in the Natural History Museum. When she becomes aware of Paddington, she immediately tries to hunt him down. With the help of Mr. Brown, Paddington locates archives that reveal a series of names that match "M Clyde", and they use phone books to track the addresses of each one. While Paddington remains home alone, Millicent, scheming with the Browns' neighbour Mr. Curry, sneaks in and tries to capture Paddington; he inadvertently repels her, but also sets part of the house on fire. The Browns disbelieve his story of Millicent's attempt to capture him and assume that he must move into a new home as soon as possible.

Paddington, feeling unwanted at the Browns, leaves and tries to locate Montgomery Clyde himself. When he finally locates the house, he finds out Clyde died many years ago, and that Millicent is actually his daughter – who was bitter towards her father for losing his job and membership with the museum because he had a change of heart and refused to bring a valuable Peruvian bear specimen home that would have made him the wealthiest man in the world. She is determined to succeed where her father failed and be rich and famous herself. Millicent manages to tranquillise Paddington and prepare him for stuffing, but Mr. Curry betrays her when discovering her true intentions and informs the Brown family of the events. They immediately rush to save Paddington, who is detained in the museum. They manage to rescue him, and Paddington subdues Millicent by throwing a marmalade sandwich at her, which attracts a huge flock of pigeons.

In the end, the Browns adopt Paddington into their family and Millicent is sentenced to community service at a petting zoo. Paddington writes to Aunt Lucy saying he is happy and has found a home at last.

Cast

Production

The film was first announced in 2007 with David Heyman producing and Hamish McColl writing the screenplay.[6] Further developments were not made until 2013, when filming began and Heyman announced the casting of Colin Firth as Paddington.[7] With a budget of €38.5 million ($50–55 million), Paddington is the most expensive film produced by the French production company StudioCanal.[8][9][10] Principal photography and production began on 13 September 2013.[11] In June 2014, after principal photography had wrapped, Firth voluntarily dropped out of the film after the studio decided his voice was not suitable for Paddington.[12] The role was recast the following month, with Ben Whishaw signing on to play the title role.[3] Paddington was created using a combination of computer-generated imagery (by British company Framestore)[13] and animatronics.[14]

Music

Nick Urata composed the film's soundtrack.[15]

Release

Classification

In November 2014 the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) gave the film a PG certificate for its UK release and advised parents that the film contained "dangerous behaviour, mild threat, mild sex references [and] mild bad language." Paul King, the film's director, told BBC reporter Tim Muffett: "I'm not surprised about that [the PG certificate] but I don't think it's a PG for sexiness. That I would find very odd." Paddington’s creator, Michael Bond, said he was "totally amazed" at the BBFC's advice. After the film's distributor challenged the certification, the BBFC revised the wording of its parental guidance, replacing "mild sex references" with "innuendo." It also further qualified the "mild bad language" as "infrequent", saying it referred to "a single mumbled use of 'bloody'."[16]

Box office

Paddington was released on 28 November 2014 in the United Kingdom,[7] where it took in $8 million (£5.1 million) on its opening weekend, and topped the box office for two weeks. It was StudioCanal's highest opening and the second highest 2014 family film debut in the country behind The Lego Movie.[17][18][19] For the week ending 9 December 2014 it topped the box office in France.[20]For the week ending 24 December 2014 it topped the box office in Australia.

The film was released in the United States by TWC-Dimension on 16 January 2015.[21] The film opened to third place in its first weekend, earning $19.2 million, behind American Sniper and The Wedding Ringer.[22]

Critical reception

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes sampled 119 reviews and judged 98% of them to be positive. The site states that the film works "without sacrificing his essential charm, delivering a family-friendly adventure as irresistibly cuddly as its star."[23] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 77 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating generally favourable reviews.[24]

Upon its UK release, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film four out of five stars, saying "the new CGI-live-action Paddington Bear could easily have been another garish, cheapo Brit-movie. Instead, writer-director Paul King ... and co-writer Hamish McColl have created a charming and sweet-natured family film, full of wit and fun, skewed towards young children but cheekily speckled with sly gags pitched at the older audience."[25] Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent called it a "film of considerable charm but one undermined by a very bitty and flimsy screenplay. Writer-director Paul King has more flair for comic set-pieces than he does for sustained narrative."[26]

Indiewire said critics were "pleasantly surprised" and that the film was "hailed for its warm-heartedness and playful sense of humor ... and Whishaw's charming performance".[27] Guy Lodge of Variety praised it for "honouring the everyday quirks of Bond's stories, while subtly updating their middle-class London milieu".[28] Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, saying "It's a relief to report that the final film is actually quite charming, thoughtful and as cuddly as a plush toy, albeit one with a few modern gizmos thrown in."[29] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club gave the film a B, saying "If the film seems head-and-shoulders above the average effects-driven family-matinee flick, it's because it never gives the impression that it's trying to be anything more (or less) than good-natured and fun to watch."[30] Jason Clark of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an A-, saying "A gloriously whimsical big-screen debut that's closer to the madcap spirit of the Muppets and the lovingly rendered style of a Wes Anderson film than to standard multiplex family fodder."[31] Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Paddington's journey from South America to London is just droll enough for adults – qualifying as a gentle parable about xenophobia – and exuberant enough for the youngest viewers."[32] Moira MacDonald of The Seattle Times gave the film three out of five stars, saying "Paddington is, ultimately, about how a newcomer can become part of a family, and about how good manners and marmalade can get you out of any tricky situation – delightful messages, at any age."[33] Bruce Demara of the Toronto Star gave the film three out of four stars, saying "It's a relief to say that – as films based on fictional animals go – Paddington is better than merely bearable."[34]

Barbara VanDenburgh of The Arizona Republic gave the film three and a half stars out of five, saying "Paddington is a mostly smart update loaded with charm, and it preserves enough of the fuzzy feelings for purists to walk away with a smile."[35] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film four out of five stars, saying "An irresistible charmbomb. The in-jokes are verbal and visual, managing to reference themes as diverse as immigration and insider trading. It's all very droll and quietly, memorably dazzling."[36] Sandie Angulo Chen of The Washington Post gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Because of its adorable protagonist, laugh-out-loud gags and touching premise, Paddington succeeds in a way most CGI/live-action hybrids do not."[37] Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review, saying "Artfully and cleverly, the sweet spirit of that young bear from darkest Peru and his many London misadventures materializes brilliantly on screen in the very good hands of writer-director-conjurer Paul King."[38] Mary Houlihan of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three and a half stars out of four, saying "This is a charming film whose underlying message of tolerance and acceptance strikes a palpable chord in today's world – both for children and adults."[39] Jocelyn Noveck of the Associated Press gave the film a positive review, saying "For parents looking for a film that'll please them and their kids in equal measure, Paddington is—as Goldilocks would say in that other bear story—just right."[40] Tom Long of The Detroit News gave the film a B+, saying "Paddington is an absolute delight, visually inventive, thoroughly goofy and goosed by a mix of dry British wit and pratfall shenanigans."[41]

Home media

Paddington was released on Blu-ray, DVD and streaming on 23 March 2015 in the UK, and will be released on 28 April 2015 in the United States.[42]

Accolades

Event Category Recipient(s) Result
68th British Academy Film Awards[43] Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film David Heyman and Paul King Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Paul King Nominated
20th Empire Awards[44] Best British Film David Heyman and Paul King Pending[needs update]
Best Comedy Film David Heyman and Paul King Pending[needs update]
41st Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Film David Heyman and Paul King Pending[needs update]

References

  1. ^ "Paddington (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Paddington (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  3. ^ a b Yamato, Jen (17 July 2014). "Bear Necessity: Ben Whishaw To Voice CG 'Paddington'". Deadline.com. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Patten, Dominic (15 November 2013). "TWC-Dimension Sets 'Paddington' For December 2014 Release". Deadline.com. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  5. ^ "Nicole Kidman: Paddington film is too vicious for my children to see". The Daily Telegraph. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  6. ^ Dawtrey, Adam (13 September 2007). "WB bears down on 'Paddington' film". Variety. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  7. ^ a b White, James (13 September 2013). "Colin Firth is Paddington Bear". Empireonline.com. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  8. ^ ""Paddington" : Canal+ va produire le film le plus cher de son histoire". ozap.com (in French). Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  9. ^ Kemp, Stuart (5 October 2012). "'Harry Potter' Producer David Heyman to Adapt 'Paddington Bear'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  10. ^ Jaafar, Ali (28 November 2014). "'Paddington': Potential Game-Changer For Studiocanal; Euro Major Bares Ambition". Deadline.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  11. ^ "Paddington Starts Principal Photography, Full Cast Announced". ComingSoon.net. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  12. ^ Busis, Hillary (17 June 2014). "Colin Firth leaving as voice of 'Paddington' movie". Insidemovies.ew.com. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  13. ^ "Great campaign to feature in Paddington film : VisitBritain Corporate site". Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  14. ^ "Paddington Bear (helped by Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman) goes to Hollywood – Daily Mail Online". Mail Online. 6 March 2014.
  15. ^ "Nick Urata to Score 'Paddington'". filmmusicreporter.com. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  16. ^ Masters, Tim (18 November 2014). "Paddington film: BBFC changes advice about 'sex references'". BBC News. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  17. ^ Charles Gant. "All aboard the Paddington express to UK box office supremacy". the Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  18. ^ "Paddington gets bear hug from UK cinema audiences". BBC. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  19. ^ Jaafar, Ali (1 December 2014). "'Paddington' Gives Studio Canal Its Biggest Ever UK Opening". Deadline.com. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  20. ^ "BoxOffice France 03-09 Décembre 2014". JP's Box-Office (in French). Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  21. ^ "'Paddington' and 'Hot Tub Time Machine 2' pushed to early 2015". EW.com. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  22. ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for January 16–18, 2015 – Box Office Mojo". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  23. ^ "Paddington". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  24. ^ "Paddington Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  25. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (27 November 2014). "Paddington review – charming and cheeky". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  26. ^ Macnab, Geoffrey (27 November 2014). "Paddington, film review: Choppy and episodic". The Independent. Retrieved 25 March 2015. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  27. ^ O'Connell, Max (19 November 2014). "'Paddington' Reviews: An Unexpected Delight". Indiewire. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  28. ^ Lodge, Guy (19 November 2014). "Film Review: 'Paddington'". Variety. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  29. ^ Felperin, Leslie. "'Paddington': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  30. ^ "Review: Paddington is a sweet, playful take on a children's classic". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  31. ^ "Paddington Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  32. ^ Claudia Puig (14 January 2015). "'Paddington' leaves a warm and fuzzy feeling". USA Today. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  33. ^ "'Paddington': A sometimes-sticky bear who will stick with you". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  34. ^ "Paddington is better than bearable fun for youngsters: review". Toronto Star. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  35. ^ "Review: 'Paddington' one well-looked-after bear". The Arizona Republic. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  36. ^ "'Paddington' Movie Review – Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  37. ^ "'Paddington' movie review: A classic stuffed bear brings home plenty of laughter". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  38. ^ "Review: 'Paddington' brings irresistible bear to life". Los Angeles Times. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  39. ^ "'Paddington': Charming family film bears watching". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  40. ^ "Review: Sweet, clever and cuddly, 'Paddington' is just right". Associated Press. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  41. ^ Tom Long (15 January 2015). "Witty 'Paddington' will bring smiles to kids and adults". The Detroit News. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  42. ^ "Paddington Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  43. ^ "BAFTA Film Awards 2015: Full list of winners". NME.COM. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  44. ^ "20th Empire Awards". screendaily.com. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
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