"Paddington 2"’s 100 percent fresh review on Rotten Tomatoes isn’t a bit or some meme taken too far. The recently released film deserves the praise it's receiving as it not only entertains the audience, but also teaches lessons we all need to hear in ways only a movie geared for children can.
At the offset of the film, we see our furry protagonist living in London with the Brown family. He misses his Aunt Lucy, but still manages to brighten the lives of everyone around him by being helpful in a selfless way. When Paddington sees the perfect birthday gift for his Aunt, he decides to work toward purchasing it.
His resourcefulness and drive ends up being his downfall as a local actor steals a book and frames Paddington. Our protagonist is sent to prison.
Do you think Paddington let it keep him down?
Not really.
"Paddington 2" doesn’t present a one-dimensional character that remains amusingly stagnant during his tribulations. We see him battling the isolation of being in a cell, missing his family and worrying they will forget him. Yet, while his world was rapidly changing around him and his future remained uncertain, he didn’t forget the fundamental aspects of his character — loyalty, good manners and kindness.
Through staying true to himself under these tough circumstances, he transforms the prison around him. I won’t ruin the ending, but the bear that starts the movie isn’t the one that finishes it.
The movie is funny, witty and smart, but you can find better movies in all of those categories. Paddington does more than entertain, it reminds us that we’re best when we remain positive.
As university students, especially those of us about to graduate, we share a lot of experiences that Paddington does in that cell.
