Paddington retains the spirit of the little bear loved by a big following

MOVIE REVIEW: Paddington is one of the finer family films of this, or any other year. This magnificent movie adaptation is highly recommended.

PADDINGTON [G]

Rating: 4/5

Director: Paul King (Bunny and the Bull)

Starring:Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Nicole Kidman, Peter Capaldi and the voice of Ben Whishaw.

“Much more than the bear necessities”

“Please look after this bear. Thank you.”

As avid readers of the beloved Paddington books by Michael Bond will already know, the above words are so important.

They were scrawled on a label around the furry little fella’s neck on that fateful day he showed up on the platform of a busy London railway station.

Devotees of all things Paddington - and there have been tens of millions of them since his 1958 print debut - are very protective of their pint-sized Peruvian idol.

They can now exhale and rest easy. The filmmakers behind this magnificent movie adaptation of Paddington have indeed looked after the bear.

For this is one of the finest family films of this, or any other year.

NICOLE KIDMAN: Stuns on red carpet for Sydney premiere of Paddington

NICOLE KIDMAN: Australia would have sent Paddington to Nauru

Actor Hugh Bonneville with Paddington bear. Picture: StudioCanal

Though some slight (and mercifully subtle) modifications have been made to the principal storyline known and cherished by generations, the gently redoubtable spirit of Paddington himself remains fully intact.

#Paddington #EpicMomentThe 40th film that I watched..! ♥I loved it..! ♥nicolekidman_fan @real_kidman http://t.co/ty7lWN0CNE

— I ♥ Nicole Kidman (@KidmanUrbanFan) December 10, 2014

Saw #Paddington today- and LOVED it... Laughed and cried happy tears #marmaladesandwiches http://t.co/qRXec04bsu

— Jessica Rowe (@JessRowe) December 7, 2014

Crunch time for the movie comes early, and passes by in a flash. The big worry was always going to be the look of Paddington as a CGI-animated figure interacting with a live-action world.

After a glorious opening sequence detailing Paddington’s idyllic upbringing in the jungles of Peru, the character (voiced beautifully by actor Ben Whishaw) becomes as real to the viewer as any of his flesh-and-blood counterparts.

Once a calamitous earthquake triggers Paddington’s enforced immigration to England - in its own way, the film has some pointed things to say about how foreigners are treated in modern society - our hero falls in with a suburban London family.

Paddington making a right mess of the bathroom. Picture: Studio Canal

Not all members of the household are happy about their marmalade-addicted new guest, but it doesn’t take long for Paddington to win over his new hosts.

By the closing act of Paddington, the only person who remains resistant to the little bear’s big charm is an evil taxidermist (played by Nicole Kidman in an inspired piece of casting) who wants him dead and on display as soon as possible.

What really works in Paddington’s favour as a movie is its up-for-anything energy levels, which are not permitted to flag for a moment.

Highly recommended ... The movie adaptation of Michael Bond’s books about Paddington bear is a masterpiece.

On both a visual and narrative level, the composed direction of British filmmaker Paul King (who cut his teeth on the excellent TV comedy series The Mighty Boosh) is never less than playfully inspired throughout.

Highly recommended.

PICTURES: Nicole Kidman thrills at Australian premiere of Paddington

Originally published as Paddington retains the spirit of the little bear loved by a big following