Close Encounters of the Furry Kind COMMUNITY AND JUSTICE IN PADDINGTON 2
The first of the Paddington films,1 directed by Paul King and based on the series of acclaimed children’s books written by Michael Bond, was released in 2014 to critical acclaim. The big-screen adventures of the titular bear from ‘Darkest Peru’ (voiced by Ben Whishaw), who makes his way to busy London and finds a home with a family there, achieved a specific combination of charming, eccentric and engaging that younger (and older) audiences responded to in droves.2 That film’s nostalgic whimsy is something that’s often missing from the more mainstream children’s titles that pepper the box office, but it’s a quality that is only strengthened in Paddington 2 (King, 2017). As such, the more recent film is arguably the better of the two – a rarity when it comes to cinematic sequels.
The following is a study guide for Paddington 2 that can be used in upper primary and junior secondary classrooms.
Synopsis
picks up a few years after the original. The kids, Judy (Madeleine Harris) and Jonathan (Samuel Joslin), are growing up, and the Brown family have welcomed Paddington into their everyday routines with open hearts. Paddington has firmly entrenched himself in the goings-on of the neighbourhood, too – he offers help to others with friendly cheer. He has a positive influence on the lives of those around him; this can be seen from the smallest of gestures, like reminding a neighbour to bring his keys with him, to helping the local garbageman study for his
