This Christmas Eve, British families have been gifted a delightful dose of free festive entertainment. Two of the nation's most cherished family films, Paddington (2014) and its sequel Paddington 2, are now available to watch at no cost on BBC iPlayer.
A Festive Broadcast For Christmas Eve
The original Paddington film is also scheduled for a traditional television broadcast on BBC One at 5:30pm on Wednesday, 24th December. This timing offers the perfect pre-Christmas treat for families to enjoy together. For those busy with last-minute feast preparations, the iPlayer option provides full flexibility to stream the heartwarming tale at any convenient moment.
The film stars Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins as the kindly Brown family, who take in a polite Peruvian bear voiced perfectly by Ben Whishaw. The stellar cast is rounded out by Nicole Kidman as the villainous taxidermist, Millicent Clyde, who plots to add Paddington to her museum collection.
Acclaimed as a Modern British Masterpiece
Since its release, the first Paddington movie has been showered with praise, earning a reputation as a contemporary classic. On review aggregator IMDb, one 10/10 review hails it as a "small masterpiece", applauding its brilliant writing, understated CGI, and the seamless interaction between the live-action cast and the CGI bear.
Fans on social media and review sites have been equally effusive. A Reddit user described it as "as perfect a family film can get", noting that it manages to be genuinely thrilling without ever talking down to its audience. Meanwhile, a reviewer on Letterboxd declared it a "bona-fide British classic" with the potential to become a perennial Christmas favourite for all ages.
Don't Miss the 'Even Better' Sequel
For viewers who fall in love with the polite bear's adventures, the story continues seamlessly. The article highlights that the sequel, Paddington 2, is "often hailed as surpassing the original" and is also available for free streaming on iPlayer. This gives families the perfect opportunity for a double-bill of critically acclaimed, heartwarming cinema.
The availability of these two films provides a high-quality, feel-good entertainment option during the festive season. With their top-notch casts, impeccable production design, and universally praised scripts, both Paddington films stand as shining examples of British filmmaking at its most charming and accomplished.
