Paddington 2
Warner Bros. | Release Date: January 12, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
88
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 38 Critic Reviews
Positive:
38
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangJan 11, 2018
It's an exquisite reminder of the wondrous things that can happen when a storyteller of boundless imagination avails himself of some rigorous discipline. Read full review
100
Time OutHelen O'HaraJan 10, 2018
This bearish sequel will leave you with a heart so warmed, you could trek across the Antarctic in shorts. Read full review
100
The New York TimesTeo BugbeeJan 10, 2018
Mr. King and his excellent team of actors and animators spin good writing and seamless digital effects into Rococo children’s entertainment. The gags don’t accumulate; they tessellate. Read full review
100
Village VoiceBilge EbiriJan 9, 2018
Aside from being a disarming, refreshing wallow in kindness, Paddington 2 also has the benefit of being well-constructed and exceedingly well-performed. Read full review
100
Time Out LondonHelen O’HaraOct 31, 2017
It’s a family adventure that’s the right sort of heartwarming, delivering real human emotion through the medium of a small bear. Read full review
100
Screen DailyWendy IdeOct 31, 2017
An exemplary sequel, the film retains the innocence and beguiling lack of cynicism of the first film, but moves on to explore other motifs Read full review
100
EmpireOlly RichardsOct 31, 2017
Paddington 2 is every bit as enchanting as the first, perhaps even more so, but it feels arbitrary to pick a winner. The film is a pure delight, as sweet and sharp as, well, marmalade, really. Read full review
91
ConsequenceBlake GobleJan 12, 2018
It’s beyond playful. Wonderful and whimsical, for that matter. Fun to look at and completely immersive. It’s hilarious, heartfelt, and humane, as well. It’s even a tad sagely in its universally appealing lessons of manners, sympathy, and open-mindedness. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyDevan CogganJan 11, 2018
A delightfully heartwarming tale about everyone’s favorite marmalade-loving bear. Read full review
91
The Film StageChristopher SchobertJan 10, 2018
The film never loses its spirit of harmony, even during its lengthy railroad chase ending. Throughout, it is a marvel of humor, dazzling visuals, and unique characters. Read full review
91
IndieWireKate ErblandJan 6, 2018
Paddington’s ability to positively impact people is so profound that it can’t help but stretch out towards the audience, too. We may know that being kind and polite doesn’t always set the world right, but damn if that little bear doesn’t make you want to try. Read full review
90
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternJan 12, 2018
Paddington 2 is “The Godfather Part II” of Peruvian bear movies, a sequel that surpasses the superb original. Read full review
90
New York Magazine (Vulture)Emily YoshidaJan 10, 2018
The film gets progressively funnier and more delightful as it goes on; King layers plenty of good-natured comedy on top of each daring escape and chase scene, stretching probability and sometimes patience near the end, but each new hitch and escape feels like an act of invention. Read full review
90
VarietyGuy LodgeOct 31, 2017
Paddington 2 is another near-pawfect family entertainment, honoring the cozy, can-do spirit of Bond’s stories while bringing them smoothly into a bustling, diverse 21st-century London — with space for some light anti-Brexit subtext to boot. Read full review
90
TheWrapNicholas BarberOct 31, 2017
Paddington 2 is a sure-footed, sweet-natured family comedy which isn’t set at Christmas, but which glows with so much warmth and fun that it might well be a staple of festive television for years to come. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinOct 26, 2017
Every bit as perfectly tuned, cruelty-free funny and kind-hearted as its predecessor, maybe even more so. Read full review
89
Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovJan 10, 2018
As sequels go, Paddington 2 is up to the challenge. It’s neck and neck, or paw and claw as to which is the better, so why not just watch both back to back? Read full review
88
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiJan 12, 2018
It’s a perfect flick for families, but also a jolly time for anyone with a pulse. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsJan 11, 2018
Turns out to be every bit as deft, witty and, yes, moving as the first one. Read full review
88
Slant MagazineKeith WatsonJan 10, 2018
A wilder, weirder, funnier, more heartfelt and eye-popping, and, above all, more fully realized representation of director Paul King’s eccentric sensibility. Read full review
88
Washington PostStephanie MerryJan 10, 2018
A charmer from its first action-packed frames to its over-the-top jailhouse-musical scene during the end credits. Read full review
88
Movie NationRoger MooreJan 7, 2018
I love the light, intensely likable lilt Whishaw (“Q” in the latest James Bond films) gives Paddington’s line-readings. You forget the bear is animated and that bears can’t talk, and your children won’t even need that much encouragement to suspend disbelief. Read full review
85
IGNAlex WelchDec 21, 2017
Paddington 2 goes all in on the charm and wit established in the first film and comes up with yet another winner. Read full review
84
Paste MagazineMichael BurginJan 11, 2018
Paddington 2 reminds us how difficult it can be to pull off a sweetly tempered, gently moving children’s movie by doing exactly that, and doing it so well. Read full review
83
The PlaylistWill AshtonJan 9, 2018
Paul King‘s marvellously rousing, deeply satisfying sequel — is not only another warm, friendly, massively good-natured family-friendly film, but it’s deeply caring, here to give everyone a light and entertaining diversion during these taxing times. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicBarbara VanDenburghJan 11, 2018
Paddington 2 is a winsome confection. More than just a movie, it’s a necessary mood corrective, a temporary escape hatch from negativity. The world does indeed feel right in the company of this kind and polite little bear. Read full review
80
The AtlanticDavid SimsJan 10, 2018
Paddington 2 is gorgeous to look at, smartly written, and gleefully funny, boasting a fierce ensemble of estimable British thespians. For those looking specifically for excellent family entertainment, it’s a must-see; but even other viewers will find this movie well worth their time. Read full review
80
The New YorkerAnthony LaneJan 8, 2018
Most fruitful of all is the husbandry of the gags, some of which are planted early in the film and must wait for more than an hour before they bloom. Read full review
80
The TelegraphTim RobeyOct 31, 2017
Paddington was uncommonly charming and Paddington 2 is very nearly as good. Read full review
80
The GuardianPeter BradshawOct 31, 2017
The film is pitched with insouciant ease and a lightness of touch at both children and adults without any self-conscious shifts in irony or tone: it’s humour with the citrus tang of top-quality thick-cut marmalade. Read full review
80
CineVueJoe WalshOct 31, 2017
The first Paddington was a joyful and somewhat unexpected treat, and the sequel is no different. Read full review
80
Total FilmNeil SmithOct 30, 2017
A feel good sequel only marmalade haters could resist. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliJan 15, 2018
Paddington 2 is a charming early-year offering and, although the main character is better known in the U.K. than the U.S., no cultural leap is required to fall in love with the bear and enjoy his adventures. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Kate TaylorJan 12, 2018
This Paddington, so sweetly voiced by Ben Whishaw, is just ursine enough on the one hand and just teddy enough on the other to reproduce the charm of the original. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comChristy LemireJan 12, 2018
Paddington 2 proves the smart-but-sweet combination that marked the first live-action film was no fluke. Read full review
75
St. Louis Post-DispatchJody MitoriJan 11, 2018
The sequel has the same tone as the original but is livelier and funnier, mostly due to Hugh Grant, who gleams as the bad guy. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleCarla MeyerJan 10, 2018
Hawkins, Bonneville and voice actor Ben Whishaw — who makes Paddington sound like the Geico gecko minus the attitude — give the film a strong base of kindness. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyJan 8, 2018
Though the formulaic treasure-hunting plot sometimes gets out of hand, it doesn’t muddle the intended message. Read full review
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