---
title: "Paddington"
year: 2014
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/paddington"
fi1m_id: "paddington"
imdb_id: "tt1109624"
tmdb_id: 116149
wikidata_id: "Q15055478"
fi1m_score: 84
critics_score: 79
critics_reviews: 26
published: "2026-09-25T00:43:43.475201+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-25T00:43:43.785113+00:00"
region: "PE"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Paddington (2014)

Directed by Paul King · 1h 35m · Comedy, Adventure, Family

## Identity

Paddington

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/paddington
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** paddington
- **IMDb ID:** tt1109624
- **TMDB ID:** 116149
- **Wikidata ID:** Q15055478
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1109624/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/116149, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15055478

**Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 79 from 26 reviews

*In a sentence:* A bear arrives in London and the humans turn out to need most of the bringing up

> Paul King’s *Paddington* is funny, kind and made with care, with Ben Whishaw giving the bear a touching voice. The villain business is less distinctive, but there is plenty here for adults as well as children.

## Synopsis

Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) comes to London looking for a home. His search brings him into the household of Henry Brown (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary Brown (Sally Hawkins), along with their children, Judy Brown (Madeleine Harris) and Jonathan Brown (Samuel Joslin). The bear has to find a place in their daily life, with domestic accidents complicating the welcome. Beyond the Browns’ home, Millicent (Nicole Kidman) poses a threat to the newcomer. Paddington’s efforts to settle in take him through the city and into a family still deciding what to do with him.

## Review

*Paddington* gets a difficult thing right: it takes a polite bear seriously without making a solemn occasion of his goodness. Paul King, who directs and writes the screenplay, understands that the wish to be useful can cause as much trouble as outright mischief. We recommend it warmly, with a reservation about the more conventional danger surrounding Nicole Kidman’s Millicent. For most of its 95 minutes, though, the comedy comes from allowing an odd visitor into a household and seeing what happens.

Ben Whishaw gives Paddington a voice that makes courtesy sound like something he has thought about, rather than something he has been trained to perform. There is innocence in it, but no vacant cheerfulness. We were moved by the bear’s eagerness to be welcome, because Whishaw makes every polite approach sound as though rejection would hurt. The digital animation gives that voice an expressive face without constantly demanding that we admire the work. Paddington can hold our attention without a joke being supplied for him.

Sally Hawkins makes Mary Brown’s kindness feel immediate and unforced, without playing every exchange as an invitation to admire her. Hugh Bonneville makes Henry Brown’s fussiness funny without suggesting we should despise the man. King gets good work from both, although his writing is less generous to Judy Brown and Jonathan Brown. Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin fit the household, but the children are less fully imagined than the adults.

Erik Wilson’s cinematography and Gary Williamson’s production design are particularly well matched in the Browns’ home, which King opens up to us like a dollhouse. The framing lets us take in the rooms and the family together, giving the picture plenty to enjoy without making it difficult to follow. London gets the same permission to look a little invented, and the film is better for it. The slightly unreal city makes it easier to accept its new arrival.

Mark Everson’s editing keeps the slapstick readable, giving us time to see a mishap develop instead of relying on frantic cuts to supply excitement. The messier jokes are less interesting, although King usually has another visual idea ready before the crudity becomes wearing. Nick Urata’s score helps the bustle feel friendly, even when everything is going wrong. It suits a film whose accidents should make children laugh rather than worry about the damage.

The villain business is where the film becomes less interesting. Kidman enjoys Millicent’s nastiness, but the more emphatic threat brings a familiar family-adventure shape to a comedy that gets on perfectly well with small misunderstandings. A few action passages feel imposed, and the insistence on peril takes attention away from the bear’s efforts to fit in. We would happily have spent more time on the household and less on giving it something obvious to fear.

King trusts the audience to care about a character who is trying to behave decently. The welcome offered to an outsider matters here, and the performances make it feel like something people have to choose. As family comedy, it gives adults something better to do than wait for a reference the children will miss. Watch it together; nobody needs to borrow a child to justify the choice.

*Fi1m score 84, published 25 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics welcome Paddington as a warm, witty family film whose appeal extends beyond childhood affection for the bear. Praise centres on Paul King’s visual invention and carefully timed physical comedy, with the storybook London setting giving the mishaps a distinctive charm. Ben Whishaw’s gentle voice performance and the bear’s expressive digital animation draw repeated approval, while several reviews find real feeling in the story of an outsider finding a home.

The reservations mostly concern familiar plotting, occasional crude humour and action that feels less assured than the quieter comedy. The New Yorker finds the villainy and immigration message heavy-handed at times, though other critics welcome the film’s treatment of belonging. The spread is wide, but strongly positive reviews dominate rather than suggesting an evenly divided response. IndieWire supplies the sharpest dissent, finding the story formulaic and the bear’s animation awkward, particularly around the mouth.

## Straight answers

**Is Paddington worth watching?**

*Paddington* is warmly worth watching for children and adults alike, and we score it 84 out of 100. Ben Whishaw makes the bear’s wish to be welcome touching, while Paul King gives the household comedy room to work. The villain plot is more conventional, but it is a small reservation about a funny, kind family film.

**How long is Paddington, and what is it rated?**

*Paddington* runs 1h 35m. It is a comedy and adventure film.

**Where can I watch Paddington in Peru?**

*Paddington* is not on any streaming or rental service in Peru at the moment. It is available in 34 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How does Paddington compare to Babe?**

*Paddington* and [*Babe*](https://film.one/film/babe) both make a courteous animal’s sincerity funny and touching without treating goodness as a joke. We would choose *Paddington* for its readable domestic slapstick, and *Babe* for its tender animal comedy. Both earn their sentiment, though *Paddington* is less distinctive when it turns to villain-driven peril, while *Babe* occasionally lets the music press too hard.

**What should I watch after Paddington?**

After *Paddington*, try [*Babe*](https://film.one/film/babe) (1995, Fi1m 88): Another courteous animal whose sincerity makes the surrounding humans worth caring about. Then [*Ernest & Celestine*](https://film.one/film/ernest-and-celestine) (2012, Fi1m 84): A bear and a mouse make prejudice look as foolish as it is; and [*My Neighbour Totoro*](https://film.one/film/my-neighbor-totoro) (1988, Fi1m 89): Children encounter something extraordinary, and the adults need not become idiots.

### Reviews we read (26)

- **Little White Lies**, Adam Woodward (2/5/4): The critic calls the film a Christmas triumph and an unadulterated delight. They praise its inventive visual gags, humor, and heartfelt, progressive take on welcoming outsiders. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/paddington)
- **Empire**, Chris Hewitt (90/100, inferred): The critic finds it a warm, witty, inventive delight worthy of launching a franchise. They single out Paul King’s visual wit and the film’s pitch-perfect performances for praise. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/paddington-review/)
- **Variety**, Guy Lodge (90/100, inferred): Lodge finds the film a bright, affectionate and thoroughly endearing family adventure. He especially praises its dry humor and the visual effects that give Paddington expressive, fluid movement. [Read](https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-paddington-1201360138/)
- **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (90/100, inferred): Ebiri finds the film an irresistibly delightful comedy for children and adults. He especially praises Paul King’s precisely timed slapstick and the film’s playful, storybook vision of London. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2015/01/movie-review-paddington.html)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Betsy Sharkey (85/100, inferred): Sharkey finds the film charming, inventive and a successful realization of the beloved bear. She especially praises its visual effects and director Paul King’s imaginative, surrealist style. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-paddington-review-20150116-column.html)
- **Evening Standard**, David Sexton (82/100, inferred): Sexton finds the film enchanting and irresistible, despite a few minor excesses. He especially praises Paddington’s expressive CGI presence and Ben Whishaw’s touching voice performance. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/paddington-film-review-so-much-to-enjoy-for-the-fouryearold-inside-us-all-9889347.html)
- **The Guardian**, Mark Kermode (80/100, inferred): Kermode finds the film a terrifically good-hearted and entertaining family treat. He particularly praises Ben Whishaw’s voice performance, which he describes as childlike, wise and oddly noble. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/nov/30/paddington-review-bear-hug-family-treat)
- **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (4/5): The review gives the film a positive verdict, reassuring readers fond of the books or bear that this first movie adaptation is worth welcoming. Its standfirst singles out the adaptation’s appeal to people with childhood memories of Paddington. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/paddington)
- **Total Film**, Emma Morgan (4/5): Morgan finds the film sweet, silly, and consistently engaging. She praises its slapstick, humor, and visual world, while noting that the children are thinly written. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/paddington-review/)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Christy Lemire (3/4): Lemire finds the film charming and warmly entertaining. She praises its old-fashioned family-film sensibility and Paddington’s appeal. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/paddington-2015)
- **Slant Magazine**, Kenji Fujishima (3/4): Fujishima finds the film a sincere, lively blend of childlike playfulness and mature wisdom. He especially praises Paul King’s visual invention, while noting an occasional lapse into lowbrow humor. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/paddington/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Leslie Felperin (75/100, inferred): Felperin finds the film charming, thoughtful and warmly faithful to the books. She especially praises the performances, singling out Sally Hawkins’s poignant turn and Ben Whishaw’s gentle voice. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/paddington-film-review-750322/)
- **The Independent**, Laurence Phelan (75/100, inferred): Phelan finds this a heartwarming, witty family comedy that thoughtfully updates Paddington for modern Britain. He singles out its touching portrayal of an outsider finding a home, reinforced by the film’s immigrant-experience theme. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/paddington-film-review-michael-bond-s-polite-hero-is-brought-into-the-modern-day-9888027.html)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (70/100, inferred): Lane finds the film charming and largely successful, though its villainy and immigration messaging sometimes feel heavy-handed. He praises Paul King’s eccentric touches, especially the film’s playful dollhouse framing of the Brown family home. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/01/19/losing-way)
- **Screen Daily**, Mark Adams, chief film critic (64/100, inferred): The page appears to be a review, but the critic’s verdict is unavailable in the accessible text. No specific praise or complaint can be verified because the article body is behind a registration prompt. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/paddington/5080171.article)
- **IndieWire**, Charles Solomon (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film formulaic and ultimately disappointing. He singles out the awkward-looking bear animation, especially its unconvincing mouth movements. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-paddington-123677/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): Hammond predicts the film could be the year’s best and endure as a classic. He highlights its whimsical charm and Nicole Kidman’s delightfully villainous performance. [Read](https://deadline.com/2015/01/paddington-review-ben-whishaw-nicole-kidman-hugh-bonneville-1201345758/)
- **Eye for Film**, Anne-Katrin Titze (90/100, inferred): The critic finds the film irresistible, funny, and warmly constructed. She praises its carefully crafted physical comedy and the big-hearted performances that make Paddington’s chaos endearing. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/paddington-2014-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze)
- **/Film**, Germain Lussier (9/10): Lussier calls the film a heartfelt, entertaining success whose simplicity makes it stand out from more complicated movies. He especially praises its moments of cinematic magic and its grounded performances, while noting that a few action sequences feel out of place. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/535765/paddington-movie-review/)
- **Digital Spy**, Emma Dibdin (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a delightful, warm-hearted family adventure that balances old-fashioned charm with freshness. She praises its wry comedy and lively visual effects, especially the animated bear. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a612604/paddington-review-a-delightfully-british-gem/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B+): Goldberg finds the film delightful and weird, despite a familiar story and occasional overreliance on gross-out humor and slapstick. He praises Paul King’s playful visual imagination and dry British humor. [Read](https://collider.com/paddington-review/)
- **Consequence**, Blake Goble (80/100, inferred): Goble finds Paddington a witty, sincere and unusually confident family film. He especially praises Ben Whishaw’s charming voice performance and the bear’s digital realization. [Read](https://consequence.net/2015/01/film-review-paddington/)
- **The Wrap** (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the adaptation sweetly funny and emotionally engaging, with enough charm to leave viewers wanting more. They praise its clever humor and threatening villain while maintaining a childlike whimsy. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/paddington-review-ben-whishaw-nicole-kidman-hugh-bonneville/)
- **Den of Geek**, Simon Brew (4 out of 5 Stars): Brew finds the film charming, heartfelt, and highly entertaining despite a less engaging stretch near the end. He praises Paul King’s attention to detail and the way the film balances character, humor, and fidelity to the books. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/paddington-review/)
- **NME** (75/100, inferred): The review finds Paddington a likeable, charming family film with an unexpectedly touching message. It praises the bear’s hapless charm and the film’s visual gags and pratfalls. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-various-artists-15826-321055)
- **The Playlist** (65/100, inferred): The review text is unavailable, so its verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be verified. The page returned an anti-crawler check rather than the article. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-paddington-starring-ben-whishaw-nicole-kidman-hugh-bonneville-sally-hawkins-20150113/)

## Details

- **Director:** Paul King
- **Director:** Paul King
- **Screenplay:** Paul King
- **Story:** Michael Bond
- **Cinematography:** Erik Wilson
- **Editor:** Mark Everson
- **Music:** Nick Urata
- **Production design:** Gary Williamson
- **Costume design:** Lindy Hemming
- **Producer:** David Heyman, James Joseph McDonald
- **Cast:** Ben Whishaw as Paddington (voice); Hugh Bonneville as Henry Brown; Sally Hawkins as Mary Brown; Madeleine Harris as Judy Brown; Samuel Joslin as Jonathan Brown; Julie Walters as Mrs. Bird; Nicole Kidman as Millicent; Imelda Staunton as Aunt Lucy (voice)
- **Runtime:** 1h 35m
- **First release (Bulgaria):** 23 November 2014
- **Genres:** Comedy, Adventure, Family
- **Budget:** $55 million
- **Box office:** $334 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bZFr2IA0Bo

## Where to watch in Peru

Not streaming, renting or buying in Peru at the last check.

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IL, IT, JP, KR, MX, MY, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, SE, SG, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- BAFTA Film Awards 2015: BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film (won)

## If you liked this

- *Babe* (1995), Fi1m 88: Another courteous animal whose sincerity makes the surrounding humans worth caring about. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/babe.md)
- *Ernest & Celestine* (2012), Fi1m 84: A bear and a mouse make prejudice look as foolish as it is. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ernest-and-celestine.md)
- *The Railway Children* (1970): A family adjusts to changed circumstances, with warmth that survives the sentiment.
- *My Neighbour Totoro* (1988), Fi1m 89: Children encounter something extraordinary, and the adults need not become idiots. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/my-neighbor-totoro.md)
- *The Kid* (1921), Fi1m 84: Domestic chaos and an abandoned child, with laughter that never dismisses the hardship. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-kid.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/paddington