At this point Paddington 2 gets all the attention because it is a superior sequel. But the franchise got off to a pretty great start. And because each entry had a different US distributor, the original is the last one to come to 4K in the U.S. Although it has been available abroad, the Lionsgate Limited release boasts Dolby Vision.
Paddington manages to be gentle and heartwarming with all the slapstick set pieces and villain peril of an event film. Nicole Kidman throws down the gauntlet for franchise villains which Hugh Grant dutifully picks up in the sequel. But, it’s really about Paddington finding his human family with the Browns, particularly overprotective father Henry (Hugh Bonneville).
The film opens in Peru where the lush green forest turns into exquisite night. When Paddington arrives in London, that’s exotic to us. To them, it’s domestic. The London night sky is captured from above and below.
There are some evocative dark scenes with the Dolby Vision. In Paddington’s attic, the window offers a small circle of moonlight centered in the dark attic. The Browns cut the power for the rescue finale, and Paddington does a Mission: Impossible climb up a dark air vent.
The Dolby Atmos sound also captures the pneumatic tubes zooming, the rain surrounding Paddington as he walks through the streets, birds fluttering when Henry scales the building and fire crackling beneath the vent.
Plentiful bonus features were produced for the 2014 release. Director Paul King takes us back to the stop-motion ‘70s shorts, and Peggy Fortnam’s illustrations as he shares his passion for Paddington.