Paddington 2

I’ll be honest here: I paid no attention to the first Paddington movie that came out a few years ago. In fact, I don’t remember hearing anything of Paddington until we decided to bring Paddington 2 to the Liberty. I’ve been out of that loop. If I heard anything about it I probably passed it off as a kid’s movie, some toy tie-in from a popular teddy bear or something.

Well, I’m chastened (again). I discover Paddington 2 stars some of my favorite players: Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey); Ben Whishaw (that smart young “Q” agent in 007’s Skyfall); and, as usual, a charming and wryly comic Hugh Grant.

In the first film, this Peruvian bear sets out to find a new life and finds himself lost and hapless at Paddington Station in London. In this sequel, the bear is firmly installed with the Brown family. He is picking up odd jobs to pay for the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.

Now, it seems to me that live action combined with a computer animated character is still a relatively new film genre. I’ve tested a few of these kinds of things on Netflix and found them clumsy and cheap – probably because they were. However, with actors like Bonneville, Grant, and Sally Hawkins (great supporting role in Godzilla), this is not the case with Paddington 2. It’s a genuinely entertaining flick. It’s also a family film, which is a nice change of pace after screening two intense historical dramas at the Liberty. Not only that, but the director, Paul King, has reportedly been selected to helm a new Willy Wonka movie!

So, bring the kids to see Paddington 2, but leave the teddy bears at home. Paddington 2 plays at the Liberty March 2-6.

Tickets are also now on sale for our next live performance Variety Show, “Dazzling, Delightful and Dandy!” March 16-18. This is a Disney-themed show with singing and dancing from some of our brightest local stars.

Visit us at http://www.libertytheater.org to purchase tickets. 509-382-1380. Send email to info@libertytheater.org.