Rating: PG, for mild action and rude humor.
This live-action/CGI-animated take on the tales of an adorable stuffed bear in Britain is, for the most part, completely suitable for the whole family. Ben Whishaw voices the beloved children’s book character in what is essentially an origin story. We see what prompted Paddington to leave Darkest Peru and travel to London, and how he ends up living with the Brown family. The tone is quite often gentle but dabbles in slight raunchiness here and there, including some literal toilet humor when Paddington has some trouble in the loo. But he does find himself in some peril at the hands of Nicole Kidman’s character, a ruthlessly driven taxidermist who wants to capture Paddington and add him to her museum collection. I brought my 5-year-old son with me, and Kidman’s character was the only element that bothered him: “I don?t like that mean girl,” he said. “‘Cause she’s scary.” Otherwise, though, “Paddington” is thoroughly cuddly and sweet.
