Please Look After This Bear - The Joy of Paddington!

Paddington is nothing short of an utter delight and one of the best family films in ages. If you're looking for something to see with the kids that won't have you pounding your head against the armrest, Paddington delivers wildly. The Michael Bond books have been lovingly produced (by Harry Potter's David Heyman) into a film that pleases both children and adults with equal measure.

Uprooted from his home in Darkest Peru, Paddington arrives in London, looking for a place to live. A true innocent abroad, Paddington Bear is also a compassionate metaphor about xenophobia and immigrant alarm. Paddington finds himself taken in by Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville (who gamely endures all manner of shtick) and his wife, the fabulous Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine), in the cutest of all possible London townhouses with their two children.

It's a testament to the strength of Paddington that your fondness for the little bear and the characters continually triumphs over the Cruella De Vil threat of taxidermist Nicole Kidman and a cranky neighbor (current Doctor Who Peter Capaldi) who are out to get our little visitor. You fear we're veering over too far into action movie territory with all the jeopardy, but there's always plenty of marmalade spread onto the proceedings to retain the cozy, happy tone.

Paddington is charming, witty and inventive and will definitely be on everyone's best list when the year comes to a close. Writer-director Paul King has filled it with wry nods to cinema classics ranging from Foreign Correspondent to Raiders of the Lost Ark. It has much of the same sense of delight that fans of Wallace and Gromit will gleefully recognize. Why this film wasn't released smack-dab in the middle of the Christmas season is utterly baffling. It would have been perfectly positioned to be a family box office juggernaut. Too often January is seen as the dead zone between the holidays and stray Oscar nominees.

Don't let the odd timing prevent you and your loved ones from spending a fantastic time with a bear who promises to take very good care of you indeed.