Paddington

Beginning with an old black-and-white newsreel prologue set in Peru, this sweetly playful live-action/computer-animated film tells the story of a plucky young orphaned bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) who we see poignantly searching for a friendly face in London's Paddington Station, where he's first spotted by the Brown family, as they return from a holiday. Kindly Mrs. Brown (Sally Hawkins) is immediately smitten by the fretful, forlorn bear, although her husband (Hugh Bonneville) and children are less taken. Only the Browns' housekeeper, Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters), seems to realize that they need Paddington as much as he needs them. Naming the rambunctious bear Paddington after the train station, the family soon comes to appreciate not only his orange marmalade addiction but also his comic misadventures, even as they endeavor to find the British explorer who many years ago visited Peru and befriended Paddington's ursine family. Unfortunately, Paddington has also attracted the attention of a scheming taxidermist (Nicole Kidman), who is determined to add him to her Natural History Museum collection. Adapted from Michael Bond's A Bear Called Paddington (1958), director Paul King's engaging, charming, and compassionate family film is recommended. (S. Granger)