Paddington 2 is a 2017 live-action animated comedy film that was directed by Paul King, and written by King and Simon Farnaby. Based on the stories of the character Paddington Bear, created by Michael Bond, and is the sequel to the 2014 film Paddington, it was produced by Heydey Films and Studio Canal. The film was released in cinemas and IMAX.

The film stars Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington, with Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, and Hugh Grant in live-action roles.

Principal photography for the film began in October 2016, and ended in June 2017. The film was released on November 10, 2017 in the United Kingdom, and has grossed $237 million worldwide. The film has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and is currently the best rated film on the site, and received three nominations at the 71st British Academy Film Awards, including for Best British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay for Farnaby and King, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role, for Grant.

The Film Itself (4/5):

Paddington 2 is the adorable tale of this little bear who, after being adopted into the lives of the Brown family, living his life within London, sets out on a venture to find a gift for one of his family members.  Of course, as one would expect with a children’s tale, he manages to get himself into some trouble on his ventures, and his friends and those who he’s welcomed into his life band together to prove his innocence in the matter.  I feel that the story, while it’s not something that I personally would watch on more than one occasion, was very well done, that it flowed very well from beginning to end and was one that I’m sure that a lot of children of all ages will enjoy.

Picture Quality (5/5):

The Blu-ray release of Paddington 2 looked absolutely beautiful as it played out across my living room television.  The computer-generated aspects of the film, specifically the bears, looked so cleanly done that it really allowed for them to mesh well with their human counterparts.  The scenery of the various parts of London looked really nice and did a fantastic job at adding some to my personal desire to visit the city one day.

Audio Quality (5/5):

Bundled with a Dolby Atmos audio track, Paddington 2 really knocks it out of the park with its immersive capabilities.  Making proper use of the surround and elevation elements of the film as it progressed, it really did a great job at letting my wife and I feel as if we were sitting right there in the middle of the story.  Unfortunately, there really weren’t any parts or dynamics to the track that stood out; but, I can certainly assure you that everything was beautifully handled.  The dialogue was clean, clear, and easily understandable without having to adjust volume levels, and the musical accompaniment that followed with the story added a nice element of entertainment to the film.

The Packaging (2.5/5):

The Blu-ray release of Paddington 2 comes packaged in your standard dual-disc Blu-ray amaray case.  Within that case is the standard Blu-ray copy of the film, as well as the standard DVD copy of the film.  Neither of the included discs feature any kind of artwork that’s related to the film outside of the standard release text and different colored background for the disc that’s used to differentiate the discs from one another.  There is also a digital copy redemption pamphlet that’s been included for streaming options, as well as a slip cover that features the same piece of artwork that is made available on the case art.

  

Special Features (3.75/5):

I was surprised with some of the special features that were included on the Blu-ray release of Paddington 2.  The features that have been included offer a nice look into the work that went into the film, some expansion into the story of the film, as well as a handful of nice activities for children.  Included with this release is:

• Paddington: The Bear Truth
• How To Make A Marmalade Sandwich
• Music Video With Phoenix Buchanan
• The Magical Mystery Of Paddington’s Pop-Up Book
• And More!

Technical Specs:

Video

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC (33.77 Mbps)

Resolution: 1080p

Original Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1

Audio

English: Dolby Atmos

English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)

French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)

Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)

English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)

Subtitles

English SDH, French, Spanish

Runtime

Original Film: 104 minutes

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I felt that Paddington 2 was an enjoyable experience.  While it’s not something that I would normally watch as it’s definitely a film that’s geared more toward younger audiences, my wife and I had quite the enjoyable time with this movie.  The story that’s presented is one that’s executed very well, and holds itself very well from beginning to end.  The presentation of the Blu-ray release was really well done, and allowed for an all around beautiful presentation that does a great job at capturing its audiences and keeping them throughout.  There’s a really nice amount of special features that have been included that allow for some further exploration of the film, as well as some fun activities for kids.  If you’re considering grabbing this movie for your collection, I would definitely recommend it if you have children of your own!  Paddington 2 will be available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning on Tuesday April 24, 2018.  There is also a 4K UHD release that can be imported from the UK as well!

Note: This Blu-ray was sent to us for review. This has not affected our judgement or editorial process in any way. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this process.