Rating: 3 1/2 Stars (Out of Four)

When I first saw the previews for “Paddington,” I was rather unimpressed. It looked like just another Disney-esque family film adapted from a series of children’s books with hardly any artistic value. But, then I noticed people were saying a lot of positive things about it.

So, driven by curiosity and the need to get out and see a new movie, I decided to give it a shot on a Sunday afternoon. And much to my surprise, I had an absolute blast. Even the trailers are now worth watching over again just to relive that classic scene where Paddington rides in a bathtub on a waterfall down the stairs.

Paddington (Ben Whishaw) is a young bear from Darkest Peru raised by his aunt and uncle. When an earthquake destroys their home, he is sent to London to find a new home after an explorer visited years earlier promised they’d be welcome.

Upon arrival, Paddington is temporarily taken in by the Brown family, which consists of Henry (Hugh Bonneville), Mary (Sally Hawkins) and their two children Judy and Jonathan. During this time, he bonds with them while trying to find out what happened to the explorer and also runs afoul of an evil taxidermist (Nichole Kidman), who wishes to stuff him for her collection.

Perhaps a plot description like that doesn’t do the best job of selling the movie but the great thing about “Paddington” is its ability to take its genre conventions and turn them into something refreshing and fun. There’s not much we haven’t already seen before in terms of slapstick and action scenes but thanks to director Paul King’s careful execution, it’s all immensely entertaining. The aforementioned bathtub scene ranks among the film’s best moments in special effects.

I’ve become rather disillusioned with modern comedy where everything has to be a fart joke or gross-out gag. One of the film’s biggest strengths is that it never resorts to such tactics and instead relies on slapstick and clever gags which give it a refreshingly innocent feel while still being hilarious. Given the choice between “Ted” and “Paddington,” both of which feature CGI (Computer-generated Imagery) talking bears, I’d take the latter’s sense of fun over the former’s mindless vulgarity any day.

It also helps this is a film willing to challenge the cynicism of the modern world by presenting  the audience with a warmhearted family-friendly adventure that everyone can enjoy. Many of today’s movies are heavily preoccupied with being dark and serious, while most family films lack any artistic quality. So it’s good to have something like this that shows us a lighthearted but mature fantasy where the troubles of the outside world can be forgotten for 95 minutes.

However, the film’s greatest strength is the actors. Ben Whishaw is perfect as the voice of Paddington and brings the CGI bear to life with his uncanny wit and charm. Bonneville and Hawkins also display great chemistry and deliver superb performances capable of rivaling him with the latter’s being particularly quirky and moving. Nichole Kidman does well as the villain, while Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent and Peter Capaldi round out a nice cast of supporting characters.

I neglected to mention I watched “Paddington” in a theater full of children and their parents, an experience I don’t always enjoy but relished in this case. Hearing them laugh at the funny parts and appear genuinely touched by the central message helped me realize this is a rare film capable of appealing to multiple generations and showing them a great time.

Not only is that a good sign for the future of movies but also for the way we learn to accept other people despite their differences. “Paddington” is none of the things I initially thought it would be and I’m sure those who give it a chance – even college students – will enjoy it. In the meantime, I can’t wait to see it again.