Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Paddington 2 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Orange marmalade is the new black.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III March 13, 2025

Building on the recent momentum created by Paddington in Peru, Warner Bros. has reissued Paul King's 2017 film Paddington 2 in 4K. Like many in WB's recent line of UHD catalog upgrades, it's sourced from a 2K-upscaled master but, due to the format's larger storage capacity and more efficient compression (not to mention the addition of HDR10), offers obvious gains in the visual department. Please note that all other aspects of this release, from the Dolby Atmos audio mix to the bonus features and even the cover art, are identical to Warner Bros.' 2018 Blu-ray edition.

As for the movie itself, it's a strong sequel to the well-received 2014 film -- perhaps even better, I'd argue -- and has become a beloved family favorite around these parts. As such, I'm going to break tradition here and re-grade it to a more fitting 4.5/5 as opposed to the original 4/5 rating in my linked review, which also offers a synopsis. Needless to say, I consider it the best of the three Paddington films so I'm glad it was first to reach the format here. (Please note that Studio Canal already released a 3-Film 4K Collection in the UK last month; it's region-free and a full site review is forthcoming, whereas domestically both Paddington and Paddington in Peru have yet to be slated for 4K.)

Paddington 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced directly from the 4K disc but have been downsampled to 1080p/SDR and thus should not be considered an accurate representation of quality in terms of brightness level, color, and detail.

Like many recent 4K catalog upgrades from WB, this new 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision transfer of Paddington 2 -- which is clearly sourced from the same master used by Studio Canal as part of their recent 3-Film 4K Collection, as SC's logo plays before the film -- may be "just an upscale" but it shows obvious advancements when compared to WB's own 2018 Blu-ray (which I incidentally scored a 5/5 back then... but hey, I got the movie rating wrong too).

To be sure, overall brightness levels and color representation are largely similar to the Blu-ray, as are fine detail and key textural elements, but it's a much tighter presentation with subtle but noticeable highlights that allow the film's excellent visuals and production design to shine brighter than before. The colorful sets and costumes are consistently more tonally precise, while brighter whites and deep shadows are given more room to breathe thanks to improved contrast levels. From tight close-ups of the prized pop-up book at Gruber's Antiques to clothing textures, Paddington's fur, and the alternatingly icy and cozy interiors of the prison, fine details are all rendered smoothly while the picture as a whole sports a thicker and more stable overall appearance bolstered by UHD's roomier storage capacity and more efficient HEVC codec. It's only a dual-layered disc but runs at a supportive bit rate usually right around the 60Mbps range, which is typically more that adequate although Studio Canal's release (linked above as part of their 3-Film 4K Collection) is a full triple-layered disc that seems to run about 15-20Mbps higher on average. That said, fans either unwilling to import or simply seeking an upgrade over WB's Blu-ray will certainly get one here, as the tangible benefits of HDR and better encoding will reveal flaws on that older disc that weren't as obvious a few years ago.

Paddington 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This 4K release ports over the same Dolby Atmos mix from the 2018 Blu-ray, so please see my linked review for more information. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered during the film but, like most recent WB 4K catalog upgrades, all foreign dubs and subtitles are jettisoned despite UHD natively being a region-free format. Sigh...

Paddington 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with familiar cover art, no slipcover, and all extras from the Blu-ray.

• Audio Commentary with director/co-writer Paul King

• Paddington: The Bear Truth (5:20)

• How to Make A Marmalade Sandwich (2:42)

• Music Video with Phoenix Buchanan (1:34)

• The Magical Mystery of Paddington's Pop-Up Book (3:03)

• The Browns and Paddington: A Special Bond (5:43)

• Knuckles: A Fistful of Marmalade (2:30)

• The (Once) Famous Faces of Phoenix Buchanan (3:45)

Paddington 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Paul King's Paddington 2 is near-perfect family entertainment and, for my money, the best of the three films in this franchise. It received a solid Blu-ray edition from WB in 2018 (linked above) so the studio is late to the party with this new 4K upgrade, which arrives several years after two earlier UK releases from Studio Canal: a 2018 combo pack and even a 3-Film 4K Collection out last month. While the latter might likely beat this domestic 4K disc in a head-to-head competition, it's nonetheless a well-rounded effort with strong A/V merits. This one is certainly Recommended for obvious reasons, but die-hard fans may want to import that new Studio Canal set to get all three films in 4K; the first still hasn't been upgraded by WB, and Sony may not even release Paddington in Peru in that format.