Paddington 2

That marmalade-loving bear from Peru (voiced by Ben Whishaw), happily ensconced in London with the Brown family (dad Hugh Bonneville, mom Sally Hawkins, teenagers Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin), is falsely convicted of stealing a rare pop-up book, framed by a has-been actor (Hugh Grant, chewing on his villainy with hilarious relish). Director and co-writer (with Simon Farnaby) Paul King scores again with a sequel every bit as delightful and charming as the 2014 original. King and Farnaby expand the fragile whimsy of Michael Bond’s children’s books to feature length without leaving any awkward or unsightly stretch marks. The result is the kind of irresistible family-friendly fantasy that could wind up giving “sweetness and light” a good name. Brendan Gleeson as a snarling prison cook adds to the fun.