Paddington 2 director and Paddington himself both weigh in on being better than Citizen Kane
Film Features Paddington
When news broke yesterday that a long-lost middling review of Citizen Kane spoiled the film’s perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, it confirmed everyone’s sneaking suspicion that Paddington 2 was a better movie. It was something of an unspoken truth shared by the whole of humanity since the sequel came out in 2017. For all of Kane’s technical brilliance, astonishing performances, and full-throated bravado, it can’t compete with Paddington shaving a reverse mohawk into a fussy old Englishman.
Now, Paddington 2 director Paul King has weighed in on the matter, acting as if he didn’t already know what he was doing when he directed that spectacular Hugh Grant musical number. “It’s extremely lovely to be on any list which includes Citizen Kane, but it is obviously quite an eccentric list that goes from Citizen Kane to Paddington 2, so I’ll try not to take it too seriously,” King told The Hollywood Reporter. “I won’t let it go too much to my head and immediately build my Xanadu. But I have been cooking up a model just in case.”
Still, King did have a few notes for Mr. Welles: Be born in a different decade. He joked that had Wells been alive today, and had the technology that brought Paddington to life, maybe—just maybe—he could produce something “nearly as good” as Paddington 2. King also theorized about what Paddington might think of all this, blue-skying a scenario where Paddington “wouldn’t get too carried away.” However, we now know precisely how the Peruvian bear would react thanks to his verified Twitter account. And, yes, he did get pretty carried away.
“I do hope Mr. Kane won’t be too upset when he hears I’ve overtaken him with rotten tomatoes,” tweeted the always magnanimous Mr. P, who deserves an extra serving of marmalade for his achievements.
Praise for Paddington 2 isn’t hard to come by. In 2019, Hugh Grant told Vanity Fair that it was his best film. Hard to find any arguments there. The movie is better than friggin’ Citizen Kane.
47 Comments
Well, I’m glad Rotten Tomatoes has come around. Marmalade all around!
Oh bother…
Silly old bear.
CONTROVERSIAL OPINION WARNING I think Paddington is better than Paddington 2.
But do you only feel that way because Peter Capaldi gets more to do in it?
Biased as charge. (I also think Bonneville gets to do more of his blustered stuffy Englishman thing in the first, which I like)
Counter argument:
That scene is the most Wes Anderson like scene never made by Wes Anderson. Its like Stanley Donans Charade compared to Hitchcock level comparison.
Capaldi! Seeing him in G or PG stuff always amuses me because I grew up watching him in “Skins” and “The Thick of it”
Nothing beats Paul King’s early work.
Absolutely.
I HOPE YOU FUCKIN’ DIE!
That’s fair.
#1 has Nicole Kidman. #2 has Hugh Grant. Advantage number 2.
I kinda thought Citizen Kane wasn’t loved at original release? It didn’t win Best Picture or anything… I was under the impression it took a little while for people to realize it was a work of genius.
It was nominated for 9 awards (including Best Picture, Welles for Best Director, and Welles again for Best Actor) and it won Best Original Screenplay. And it was a big critical hit, if not a commercial one:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_Kane#Contemporary_responses
You’re right, it was a box office flop, but liked by critics, I got it mixed. But it did only manage to win 1 of those 9, interestingly.
Ah how I miss the days when the site’s writers knew how to spell the surname of one of the greatest film directors ever known.
Orson Welles. There are two goddamn Es in his name. He at least deserved that much respect, even if we must talk about his wine commercials.
There’s no way most of the writers on this site nowadays have even seen any of his films. They’re not film literate.
I know, right? Imagine writing an article about Stephen Spielberg or Martin Scorcessy.
Srsly! Mr. “Wells”??? Matty Schims ought to get tf off the AVC payroll and into a remedial film history class. How embarrassing for this site.
It’s not impossible that spellcheck fucked Schimkowitz. Still, it is something you oughtta catch.
Just want to say that this was a purposeful typo that I made to disrespect Mr. Wells, who I don’t wish any specific harm.
Okay, apology accepted after one Frozen Peas listen.
“Pop culture obsessives writing for the pop culture obsessed.”So, uh… maybe it’s about time to update the old masthead?
Funny, I didn’t see Ed Wood mentioned anywhere in the article.
Both Paddington movies are excellent. I would re-watch either in a heartbeat before I put on Citizen Kane. (Unless I was having trouble falling asleep, of course.)
I love it.There was a period in the 90s/00s when one of the arthouse theaters in Georgetown (DC) would schedule Kane for a week or so, every year or so. I made it a point to go down a few times to see it. A bygone age; but god damn is it energetic. The section where young Welles and young Cotten start the paper, just crackles.Magnificent Ambersons also has moments of great loveliness, even sliced up as it is. Needed Welles in the central role: poor Tim Holt can’t carry the load, doesn’t have the charisma.
So which is a better ape movie: Every Which Way But Loose or Any Which Way You Can ?
Serious Going Bananas erasure happening here.
I think Clyde really phoned it in for the sequel.
You know I have to say that Any Which Way You Can is the funnier movie, while on the other hand Every Which Way But Loose is better made.But the best ape movie, the best ape movie ever, is Dunston Checks In.
The correct answer is Bedtime for Bonzo.
I bought the DVD of Link recently after not having seen it since the late ‘80s but haven’t watched it yet. Surely a movie is just as good watching it as an adult as it was as a young teen.
Over The Top
Side tangent. Does Nicole Kidmen ever age? She looks the same as she did back in The Others and Batman Forever. The lady must have stolen Christie Brinkleys fountain of youth.
I miss her ginger curls. Love them redheads!
She rocks whatever she’s got.
I didn’t cry at the end when Aunt Lucy showed up, YOU cried!
Is this gonna be the new dumb Internet debate thing, like “Star Wars v. Star Trek” or “Taylor Ham v. Pork Roll”?
“Chaplin vs. Keaton” is due for a comeback. Also, Keaton. Fucking obviously.
Somehow, I get the feeling that eventually, 15-20 years from now, someone will be reporting how Tommy Wiseau’s The Room beat out Citizen Kane for best movie of all time.
Is Paddington an asshole?‘Cause he looks like he is one.
The photo caption is perfect, thank you.
In sixty years, people will win Oscars for just making movies about the making of Paddington 2. And other people will be all up on HoloTwitter with “what the hell’s an Oscar?”