Books on screen

Paddington

When the Paddington movie was first announced I was, at best, dubious. I was a big Paddington fan as a child. They were my introduction to British humor and I read every volume that my library owned at least 3 times. I owned one and I read it until it literally fell apart, at which point I taped it back together so I could continue rereading. More About Paddington is one of only two books I've actually purchased for my Kindle. Needless to say, I have more than just a passing familiarity with the plot of Paddington's stories. Each story is built on a similar premise: Paddington's misunderstanding, naivete, and general luck lead to misadventure. This works fine for a short cartoon but I couldn't see that working for a feature film. Not to mention, the stories themselves can feel a bit dated. My love for the source material was strong enough I wasn't eager to have it sullied by a mediocre movie. After a few positive reviews, though, I thought I'd give it a shot. 

First, know that the movie plot bears no real resemblance to the books. There are some similar plot elements, some small instances of misadventure, but as one might expect it adds two larger plots. We have the Brown family rather fractured and at odds with one another and the mystery of the adventurer who visited Paddington's family in Peru. The side characters of Mr. Gruber and Mr. Curry are both in the movie though they aren't particularly as I'd have imagined them. I could spend the full length of the movie pointing out the deviations. A little begrudgingly, though, I have to admit I enjoyed this movie. It embraces and adds a modern twist to a beloved story. The cast is strong and does justice to the script.