Paddington (the film) is a kids' adventure movie -- think Indiana Jones with fur. That doesn't make it a bad movie; in some ways it's very good indeed. The bear animation is staggeringly convincing, in fact. The story is witty and good-natured, and there are many funny moments.
The problem for me is that it's just not Paddington. The Paddington stories that were such a feature of my childhood, and which I read to my own children, were more than just good -- they were inspired. Paddington never does very much in the books -- he certainly doesn't run around being shot at or scaling tall buildings. He just exists to throw the latent humour in everyday situations into sharp relief. The Paddington books were that rarest of literary achievements -- stories for children that were capable of amusing and entertaining their parents as well.
I rather suspect that the original Paddington would be difficult to portray in a movie, because the humour is just too understated. To be fair this movie captures at least some of the original charm and colour of the stories; but it loses the subtlety.
Sadly, I probably would have given Paddington a higher score if it had not been called Paddington; if, in fact, it had been about a different bear altogether. Or a gopher, or an ocelot, or a moose. Not a dog -- there are altogether too many talking-dog movies. Unfortunately, the literary Paddington has big shoes (or wellington boots), which the movie representation does not really fill.
The problem for me is that it's just not Paddington. The Paddington stories that were such a feature of my childhood, and which I read to my own children, were more than just good -- they were inspired. Paddington never does very much in the books -- he certainly doesn't run around being shot at or scaling tall buildings. He just exists to throw the latent humour in everyday situations into sharp relief. The Paddington books were that rarest of literary achievements -- stories for children that were capable of amusing and entertaining their parents as well.
I rather suspect that the original Paddington would be difficult to portray in a movie, because the humour is just too understated. To be fair this movie captures at least some of the original charm and colour of the stories; but it loses the subtlety.
Sadly, I probably would have given Paddington a higher score if it had not been called Paddington; if, in fact, it had been about a different bear altogether. Or a gopher, or an ocelot, or a moose. Not a dog -- there are altogether too many talking-dog movies. Unfortunately, the literary Paddington has big shoes (or wellington boots), which the movie representation does not really fill.