Paddington in Peru (2024)

After his aunt goes missing in Peru, Paddington must go back home to find her, as he gets mixed up with nuns and a riverboat captain on a quest to find El Dorado. If you're a fan of the others, it'll give you what you're looking for, but I didn't find myself as invested as the first two films and it hardly got an emotional response out of me. Most of the fun comes from Antonio Banderas as this entry's villainous lead. It's a cute adventure and the jungle scenery definitely pops on the big screen, but it's diminishing returns at this point.

2½ passport photos out of 5

Note: Emily Mortimer takes over the role of Mrs. Brown from Sally Hawkins, which probably accounts for why it feels so uneven compared to the others.

Paddington 2 (2017)

Paddington's second foray on the big screen picks up not long after the first film. Having fully integrated with his new found family, the titular talking bear takes up a series of odd jobs and is framed for a crime he didn't commit. This time around, Hugh Grant portrays the big bad as a clever master of disguise.

People seem to consider this one superior to the original (due to its 100% "fresh" score and a running gag in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent), but it feels like a much more derivative family film and much less "grounded" in reality. While the humor and warmth is consistent and it remains wholesome and charming, it was massively overhyped for me compared to the original.

3 pop-up books out of 5

Paddington (2014)

An extremely charming British film based on the children's book series of the same name. A talking bear in a red bucket hat and rain slicker migrates from the jungles of Peru to a London railway station where he is discovered and subsequently taken in by the Brown family. What follows is essentially a fish out of water story where Paddington attempts to assimilate with urban life, while trying to avoid a tricky taxidermist (played by Nicole Kidman) looking for her next trophy. It's a heartwarming family film that's perfect for kids of all ages and manages to get the characterization of the books right.

3½ marmalade sandwiches out of 5

Buster (1988)

Kicking off in London, 1963, it tells the story of Buster Edwards, one of the fifteen men involved in the Great Train Robbery, something that still gets spoken about in Britain today. For the benefit of anyone not familiar with the incident, it involved a Royal Mail train carrying a HUGE amount of cash.
Musician Phil Collins stars as the titular crook. The script presents him as a lovable rogue, as a "lucky" petty thief, which is a characteristic trait that Collins chennels successfully. His wife is played by Julie Walters.
The planning phase of the story goes by fast, as does the robbery, meaning a large portion of the film focuses on life on the run and, sadly, that part can feel a little dull at times. But if you're a fan of the one-time Genesis front-man, then there's certainly enough Phil to keep you entertained.

2½ monopoly rolls out of 5

One Chance (2013)

A biopic about a bullied choirboy from Wales (James Corden) who found fame singing opera on a stupid UK TV talent show sounds like the kind of thing best left collecting dust on a store's shelf, but when it has Colm Meaney and Julie Walters in the cast I'm going to watch it, regardless. So that's what I did.
It's surprisingly funny to begin with. The comedy never fully goes away, because as an underdog sometimes the best defence against the world is an ability to laugh at its hardships, but it does get swamped by sentimentality, overplaying how the protagonist effectively conquers his nerves and silences the taunts of naysayers with a big, stirring voice.
His supportive girlfriend, Julz (Alexandra Roach), was delightful.

2½ Flames of Arveron out of 5

BROOKLYN [2015]

Director John Crowley's adaptation of Colm Tóibín's novel, Brooklyn, is the type of lush, romantic period drama that proves just because it's all of the above doesn't mean it has to be melodramatic schmaltz.
It's the story about a young Irish woman who immigrates to the United States in the early '50's to find herself torn between what country and life she wishes to live with.
Once again lead actress Saoirse Ronan delivers a mesmerizing sophisticated performance that never tries to outperform her other equally talented cast-mates, including the amazing Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters.  Broken up into three distinct parts, the story brilliantly alters it's color palette and style of photography with such subtlety only your emotions will pick up on it.  It's a much-needed quiet little film that sits in the corner waiting for you to discover it for yourself.  The type of good old fashioned storytelling that remains timeless.

4½ barf buckets out of 5

BRAVE [2012]

Pixar regulars Mark Andrews & Brenda Chapman with some heavy help from Sam & Max mastermind, Steve Purcell, direct the fantasy adventure Brave.

It teaches the hilarious lesson of the best way to understand your mother is to turn her into a bear.  Take notes, kids, as you find out whether or not your mom shits in the woods.  Unlike Pixar's other films, where the premise and settings are usually quite different, Brave settles itself into more a traditional Disney style and never really offers anything different from what we've seen before.  It's probably the most beautiful looking film to come out of the company but also the most cut-and-dried as well.

3 will-o'-the-wisps out of 5

Educating Rita (1983)

Rita wants to escape her Liverpudlian working-class life, so she decides to do it by getting an education in English Lit. Her tutor Frank doesn't know what hit him until it’s too late. I love the play it was based on, and the screenplay was penned by the same person (Willy Russell), so it’s no surprise that I love this. It has a universal truth at its heart that makes me glad and sad at the same time. It breaks my heart and gives me the hope I need to stitch it back together.

4 pass the focking pheasant out of 5