He may have projected a perfectly innocent image to his many fans when they were growing up watching his escapades on the television, but it seems that the leap from cartoon to big screen Film bear was a step too far for the censors when considering what rating to give the new Paddington film. Many nostalgic adults will remember back to when the cuddly character arrived from Darkest Peru to stay with the Brown family and his penchant for marmalade, but the updated storyline seems to include scenes that necessitate a 'PG' (Parental Guidance) rating.
The decision has shocked and upset the creator of the family favourite, Michael Bond, as it implies that the film is deemed as inappropriate for viewing by young children, which would have presumably been the target audience when it was being created and the age group that were drawn to the book and television episodes during the 1970s. The film makers decided not to involve Bond in the composition of the film, although they have included him in a cameo role within the film itself.
The film ratings are determined by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification), a body that sometimes one wonders if they are really in touch with modern life and society, who reached their decision on the basis of the film including sexual references, bad language and even dangerous behaviour which could have an adverse effect on 'more sensitive' children.
It seems that some latitude has been taken with the original stories to make them into the film version and to appeal to the youth of today, but rest assured that Paddington does not seem to be the perpetrator of such bad behaviour himself directly.
The sexual references seem to relate to a scene where a man dresses as a woman and as such attracts the attentions of another man, while the bad language (as such) seems to have resulted from the use of "bloody" during some of the dialogue (one wonders if it would even be noticed).
As for the part of the film that invokes 'danger', this apparently relates to moments when Paddington is involved in that staple diet of the feature film, the chase scene, where the 'baddie' outlines a plan to kill and then stuff the harmless little bear. That's not the end of the peril for the furry hero, as there is also a scene where he is unconscious and preparations are being made for him to be properly stuffed.
One can sense that the audience will be taking a sharp intake of breath at that very moment!
Indeed, as one learns more of the plotline (although surely Paddington will come out of it all unscathed) through the justification for the rating, it sounds more interesting in snippet form. His action scenes seem to include "hiding from a villain inside a refrigerator" and "riding on a skateboard while holding on to a bus" (surely a homage to scenes from "Back to the Future"?).
Directed and co- written by BAFTA nominated Paul King, the film boasts a talented cast including Hugh Bonneville (of Downton Abbey fame), the current Dr Who (Peter Capaldi) and Nicole Kidman as the villainous taxidermist (stuffing and Christmas always seems to go well).
Colin Firth was originally signed up to provide the voice for Paddington, but had some problems recreating it (in echoes of his role in "The King's Speech") and instead Ben Whishaw was drafted in.
