Movie Review Paddington 2

Paddington 2 (2018) 

Directed by Paul King 

Written by Paul King, Simon Farnaby

Starring Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Peter Capaldi, Hugh Grant

Release Date January 12th, 2018

Before the comments come, I can already hear you: "lighten up!" "It’s just a kids movie!" "All the other critics like it!: I can hear you saying these things before you type them as a response to this review; there is no need for you to repeat them. I’m speaking of my hatred for Paddington 2 and what I already know will be the response to that hatred. Paddington 2 has received across the board raves and yet I hated almost every second of it.

Paddington 2 returns to the story of Paddington Brown, voiced by Ben Whishaw, the good hearted young bear that moved to London in the first film of this franchise and is now a staple of the lives of the residents in his small corner of London. Paddington spends his days wheeling about London accidentally righting wrongs or creating new forms of chaos via his lovable clumsiness.

Things take a turn when Paddington’s friend, antique shop owner, Mr. Gruber (Jim Broadbent), shows him a London Pop-up book that Paddington believes would be the perfect gift for his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton), in place of her actually traveling to London. Unfortunately, the pop-up book is very expensive and Paddington will need to raise $1000.00 in order to purchase it.

The book, it turns out, is an artifact related to a traveling circus and when Paddington passes on its existence to a washed up former movie star named Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant), the movie star remembers the legend around it and sets about stealing it while framing Paddington for the crime through the cunning use of disguise and sleight of hand magic.

Find my full length review in the Geeks Community on Vocal. 

Movie Review Wonka

Wonka (2023) 

Directed by Paul King 

Written by Simon Farnaby, Paul King 

Starring Timothee Chalamet, Sally Hawkins, Olivia Coleman, Hugh Grant, Keegan Michael Key, Calah Lane 

Release Date December 15th, 2023 

Published December 5th, 2023 

Wonka is a spectacular good time. This musical from director Paul King charts the origin of everyone's favorite chocolatier, Willy Wonka, played by Timothee Chalamet, from his time before he opened his magical chocolate factory. Pressing aside the Johnny Depp take on the character, Chalamet's Willy Wonka feels more like a spiritual predecessor to Gene Wilder's iconic take on the character. He's charming, he's funny, and he has just a slight hint of impish, prankish, bitterness to him. It's a wonderful performance from Chalamet who carries the film with the presence of a movie star. 

Willy Wonka's early life was tragic. He lost his beloved mother, portrayed by Sally Hawkins, when he was quite young. But, her adventurous spirit lives on in her son who undauntedly threw himself into the world to seek his fortune and make his mother proud. Willy, also a magician by trade, has traveled the globe on just his wits and guts, and discovered flavors of chocolate that no one has ever dreamed of. He's managed to pack it all away in a magical suitcase with which he can whip up a unique chocolatey concoction on a whim. 

Having arrived now in London for the first time, he's hoping to achieve the dream his mother always had, opening a Chocolate shop in the most famous chocolate market in the world. But first, Willy needs a place to stay. In a lovely opening song, Willy explains how much money he has before quickly parting with all of it as he helps out those in need. It's a lovely, graceful song that shows a generosity of spirit in Willy as he gives his last coin to young woman with a baby so that they can find a place to stay on this cold English night. 

As for Willy, he's planning to bed down on a chilly bench when he's approached by a man named Bleacher (Tom Davis). Bleacher is a big intimidating and threatening man who appears to reveal a softer side when he tells Willy about a place to stay... on credit. Mrs. Scrubbit (Olivia Coleman) operates a boarding house where she will allow Willy to stay on the promise that he will pay for his room the following day. This comes with a caveat however as Willy has to sign a contract for his room. The contract is page after page after page of fine print. A naive Willy decides to sign it anyway and that sets a portion of our plot in motion. 

Find my full length review at Geeks.Media