Paddington

Paddington, the most famous literary immigrant bear, has a movie to call his own. Movie audiences now have the first great family film of the year.

The movie opens with a newsreel of sorts by explorer Montgomery Clyde. Clyde tells about his time in "darkest Peru." There, he met a family of talking bears who just love some marmalade. He tells them that they're always welcome to visit London.

Years later, the bears Lucy (Imelda Staunton) and Pastuzo (Michael Gambon) live out their golden years together. Their nephew (Ben Whishaw, who replaced Colin Firth last summer) also lives with them. An Earthquake strikes their home and kills Pastuzo. Aunt Lucy heads off to a retirement home for bears. Her nephew stows away on the first freighter to London.

He winds up in Paddington Station. The Brown family gives him a new home and name. Mrs. Brown (Sally Hawkins) loves Paddington's company but Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville) wants him out. Paddington proves a good companion to the Brown children, Judy and Jonathan. The wicked museum taxidermist Millicent (Nicole Kidman) wants Paddington for her collection.

It's not as stupid as the advertisements suggest. Paddington's heavily-advertised bathroom trouble is one scene out of many. The rest of it is delightfully deadpan (Mr. Brown's long but unpleasing euphemism for an orphanage) and punny (a gag with a Chihuahua). Julie Walters provides great comic relief as the eccentric Mrs. Bird. It gets serious when it needs to be and it's honest when it does.

Writer/Director Paul King shows what $55 million can create. Paddington is a well-animated CGI creation. He feels real even if you can tell he isn't. There's an inventive flashback scene set aboard a miniature train. The best effect depicts the Brown household as a dollhouse. The film's colorful production design brings out the best in London.

Paddington is a film kids and adults are sure to love together. Though be warned that some of it can upset the youngest of filmgoers. Still, its good humor makes it a fine introduction to Michael Bond's most famous creation.