Paddington 2 (2017)
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After being framed for a crime he didn't commit, a polite bear must navigate the complexities of prison life while his family searches for the real culprit.
The story
Paddington, a polite bear living with the Brown family in London, works to buy a special pop-up book for his aunt's birthday. However, after witnessing a burglary at an antique shop, he is framed and imprisoned for the crime. While Paddington is sentenced to ten years in prison, the Brown family must navigate the city to find the real thief and prove his innocence. Meanwhile, the real thief, a man named Phoenix Buchanan, uses the stolen book to pursue a hidden fortune.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Paddington is framed for the theft of a pop-up book and sentenced to ten years in prison. While he befriends a prison chef named Knuckles McGinty, the Brown family searches for the real thief, Phoenix Buchanan. They eventually discover Buchanan's secret stash of costumes. Paddington and his friends escape the prison to find the truth. He joins the Browns to confront Buchanan at a train station where a carnival train is carrying a hidden fortune. After a chaotic sequence involving a train and a river, Paddington is rescued and eventually exonerated. He finds out the real thief was caught and his aunt is coming to visit him in London.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- Luxembourg
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Paul King
- Writers
- Paul King · writer; Simon Farnaby · writer
- Cast and characters
- Ben Whishaw · Paddington; Hugh Bonneville · Henry Brown; Sally Hawkins · Mary Brown; Brendan Gleeson · Knuckles McGinty; Julie Walters · Mrs Bird; Jim Broadbent · Mr Samuel Gruber; Peter Capaldi · Mr Reginald Curry; Hugh Grant · Phoenix Buchanan
- Genres
- live-action; animated; comedy
- Themes
- kindness; politeness; loyalty
- Tone and mood
- heartwarming; whimsical
- Premise and plot tags
- animal protagonist; miscarriage of justice; prison escape
- Source material / true-story basis
- stories of Paddington Bear created by Michael Bond
- Franchise connections
- Paddington film series
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim, with high scores on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, and was noted for its balance of heart and adventure.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 99% · scale: percentage · review count: 253; Metacritic · score: 88 · scale: 100 · review count: 38; AlloCiné · score: 4.0 · scale: 5 · review count: 22
- Awards and nominations
- BAFTA · Outstanding British Film · nomination; BAFTA · Best Adapted Screenplay · nomination; BAFTA · Best Supporting Actor · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was dedicated to Michael Bond, who died on the day principal photography wrapped.; The film was once the most-reviewed film to remain at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.; The character Phoenix Buchanan was specifically designed as a vain, narcissistic actor.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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