Paddington 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Paddington 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Please look after this Blu-ray.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III December 10, 2019

2014's Paddington was a surprisingly enjoyable family adventure; though it offered nothing new from a storytelling perspective, the likable characters and charming atmosphere made up for other shortcomings. The same is true of its sequel: while the main plot gets more room to breathe due to a lack of character introductions, it's still a predictable show but one that continues to wears its heart on its sleeve. That goes a long way in my book, as Paddington 2 is, much like its predecessor, elevated from "decent family film" to "possible future classic" just off charisma alone.

Our titular hero (again voiced by Ben Whishaw) has long since settled into life in London's Windsor Gardens with the kindly Brown family, and Paddington 2 shows us how deep his community roots have gotten. Paddington always thinks of others and this extends to Aunt Lucy, who will soon be celebrating her 100th birthday. He finds the perfect gift at an antique shop owned by family friend Samuel Gruber (Jim Broadbent): it's a lovely pop-up book showcasing London landmarks, but its detail and rarity translate to a sky-high price-tag. While Paddington works odd jobs to save up, the book is stolen by a mystery person who, quite literally, disappears in a puff of smoke with Paddington in hot pursuit. Naturally, our pint-sized hero is blamed for the theft and sentenced to prison, but even an unfair sentence doesn't dampen his spirits. While Paddington cheers up gloomy inmates, the Brown family -- Henry (Hugh Bonneville), Mary (Sally Hawkins), Judy (Madeleine Harris), Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) -- and others try to prove his innocence.

Again, nothing new and different from a storytelling perspective, but Paddington 2 continues the franchise's ability to skate by on charisma and charm. Not to mention its warm and very inviting visual design, which certainly owes a lot to Wes Anderson: full of golden yellow tones, symmetrical compositions, and a fetish for exacting background details, the only thing its missing is gratuitous use of the Futura Bold font. But even if these visual homages, minor narrative deficiencies, and predictable plot elements -- some of which are likewise lifted almost wholesale from Wallace and Gromit -- seem distracting at first glance, the whole production goes down easy due to its big, beating heart.

Featuring a familiar cast of characters -- and welcome new faces, such the superb Hugh Grant as self-absorbed actor Phoenix Buchanan -- and just as many returning crew members (including co-writer/director Paul King), Paddington 2 feels like a comfortable pillow for family film fans. What's more is that, unlike most sequels, you can go in completely blind and still follow along easily...but why bother? The first one is just as enjoyable and, like this sequel, priced to move for the holiday season. One or both are terrific stocking stuffers for kids of all ages, with Warner Bros.' Blu-ray offering another top-notch A/V presentation and an even better assortment of extras than the first one.

Paddington 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

No surprises here -- Paddington 2 features a flawless 1080p transfer from start to finish. An expressive color palette and detailed production design are perhaps its biggest visual assets, offering a warm and inviting atmosphere that suits the film's heartfelt story. Textures are extremely strong, most notably ursine fur and densely layered background details, with a crisp appearance that showcases the strengths of its all-digital source material. While it's disappointing that WB never offered American fans a 4K option (although one can be imported), let's remember that, like the first film, Paddington 2 was finished at a 2K digital intermediate so any improvements wouldn't be drastic. As it stands, this Blu-ray offers a pleasingly perfect visual presentation that die-hard fans and newcomers will enjoy.

Paddington 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, the Dolby Atmos mix (which, as always, unfolds to lossless Dolby TrueHD 7.1 depending on your system) has absolutely no trouble commanding attention with its excellent dynamic range, crystal-clear dialogue, and that full-sounding original score by Dario Marianelli. Channel separation is typically limited to action scenes and background ambiance, while low frequency is also put to good use on several occasions: the rushing waterfall of its "Darkest Peru" prologue, lively scenes at a nighttime carnival, and a few of the aforementioned music cues. Same goes for the height channels, which definitely add to the city ambience as well as echoes within the prison walls. It's great stuff from start to finish -- maybe even more than most will be expecting, but that's a good problem. No obvious defects, drop-outs, or sync issues were spotted along the way, which also applies to the optional subtitle tracks.

Paddington 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc set arrives in a dual-hubbed keepcase with a matching slipcover (maybe, at this point) and Digital Copy redemption code. On-disc extras include a handful of lightweight but entertaining featurettes -- many of which are clearly described by their titles -- as well as an appreciated feature-length audio commentary by the director.

• 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: The Special Bond (5:43)

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

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

• Audio Commentary - Returning director/co-writer Paul King delivers an organized and enjoyable scene-specific commentary with very few dead spots. Topics of discussion include penning the script, comparisons to the first film, catching up with the cast and crew, visual design and cinematography, cut ideas, shooting locations, writing for Hugh Grant, digital effects, the music and sound design, Charlie Chaplin, and much more.

Paddington 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Like its predecessor, Paddington 2 offers another warm and accessible family adventure -- in fact, you don't even need to watch the first one to follow along. Although the plot is predictable and its visual style borrows almost every trick in Wes Anderson's playbook, the film's big heart ultimately smooths over some of the less polished elements; in short, it's impossible to watch without a smile on your face. Warner Bros.' Blu-ray serves up a reliably great A/V presentation and an assortment of decent bonus features. If you don't have this already, it makes a great stocking stuffer.