October, 2022

Recently, I was excited to see that my local movie theater was showing Paddington 2. I remembered seeing the original Paddington Bear movie with Suzanne, and I looked forward to the sequel. Imagine my surprise when I remembered that I had seen this one with Suzanne a few years ago also. Oh, well. It was still good.

Paddington looks for work so he can afford an expensive pop-up picture book of London for his Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday. He happens to be passing the bookstore when the book is being stolen, and he goes in to try and stop the thief. Needless to say, the police arrest Paddington.

His human family, the Browns, try to get him freed. Meanwhile, Paddington teaches the prison chef, Knuckles, how to make marmalade, and the marmalade sandwiches go over brilliantly with the prisoners. Knuckles and two other convicts, Phibs and Spoon, later tell Paddington that although the Browns mean well, they will eventually forget about him. But the Browns faithfully come to visit every day — until one day when they are so dogged in pursuit of evidence to free him that they run past visiting hours.

Knuckles, Phibs and Spoon tell Paddington that they’ll help prove his innocence if he’ll help them escape. He does so, and they forget about him.

The book turns out to be a map to a treasure, and various characters have been showing up at the sites mentioned to get clues.

The Browns have become convinced that the real culprit is their neighbor, egotistical but struggling actor Phoenix Buchanan. To trap Buchanan, they arrange a meeting at Paddington Station (from which Paddington draws his name.) Paddington disguises himself as a trash bin to meet the Browns. He boards a train, but the Browns, missing him, board a different train at the other end of the station. The two trains leave and run parallel for quite a while.

Buchanan finds the treasure in a train car, but Paddington and the Browns (and their nanny) confront him. He overwhelms them, escapes, and severs the train connection with Paddington locked inside. He is photographed by the Browns’ son. Mr. Brown knocks him out. Unfortunately, Paddington’s rail car derails and goes deep in the water. Buchanan is eventually arrested.

Just as it’s sinking, Knuckles, Phibs and Spoon show up and rescue him. He is in a coma, but eventually recovers, on Aunt Lucy’s birthday. While he is pleased to learn that he has been exonerated, he is distraught that he was unable to get the picture book for Aunt Lucy — until the Browns bring him downstairs to discover that they have brought Aunt Lucy herself to London.

Knuckles, Phibs, and Spoon get pardoned and become small businessmen. We last see Buchanan organizing shows in the prison.

The movie is fun, sweet, funny, and an exciting adventure. It is a story of love, determination, and redemption. We can learn about all of these qualities from the story of Paddington 2. Love and determination win the day, justice prevails, and there is redemption for the convicts. Very good things to remember. This sounds like the Divine Universe at play. I recommend this movie.