Sightlines · reception

How Paddington 2 was received

2017 · Paul King · Paddington 2 on Sightlines

The arc

Adored on release, but its legend only grew: in 2021 it briefly dethroned Citizen Kane as Rotten Tomatoes' best-reviewed film ever after a decades-old negative Kane review resurfaced — a joke that became a genuine critical talking point.

What’s debated

The half-serious, endlessly rehearsed debate: is Paddington 2 actually better than Citizen Kane — and was Hugh Grant robbed of an Oscar nomination?

Its footprint

Nicolas Cage tearfully declaring 'Paddington 2 is incredible' in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent canonized it as cinema's shorthand for pure-hearted greatness, and 'if you're kind and polite, the world will be right' became the motto of the whole nicecore movement.

Where it stands

A Letterboxd darling and rare sequel-surpasses-original consensus pick — the go-to answer for 'a genuinely perfect film' among cinephiles who otherwise agree on nothing.

Did you know? Hugh Grant earned a BAFTA nomination for playing Phoenix Buchanan and has repeatedly said Paddington 2 may be the best film he's ever appeared in.

Named by the director

• Charlie Chaplin — Paul King cited Chaplin's silent-era physical comedy as a model for the film's slapstick set pieces.
• Buster Keaton — King named Keaton's precision-engineered visual gags as an influence on the film's elaborate physical comedy sequences.