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As another marmalade-packed outing awaits, the onus is on the friendly bear to succeed where Neo, Batman and Shrek failed
To quote Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka, the news that a third Paddington film is in the works shines like a good deed in a weary world. Hailed as one of the best family movies of modern times, Paddington 2 has amassed cult fanbase, and it’s easy to see why. From the earnest aphorisms of Paddington himself to the glory of Hugh Grant’s narcissistic, preening Phoenix Buchanan, the film is marmalade-packed with wit and warmth. Grant even suggested, in his customarily dry way, that it was perhaps the best film he had ever been in. But in the shadow of such a success, is a third film a mistake, especially if it is to be completed without Paul King in the director’s chair?
Reports suggest that many of the first two films’ other key creatives will be involved. Yet few threequels hit the same emotional resonance as, say, Toy Story 3, or conclude an epic saga like Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Indeed, Hollywood history shows us that the construction of a threequel is precarious, and often ends in anticlimax. Continue reading...