Review: The Adventures of Paddington “Paddington Gets Fit”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Paddington wants to participate in the annual Windsor Gardens Fun Run, but finds himself too woefully unfit for the activity. Determined not to let her favorite furry friend sit this one out, Mrs. Bird lends a hand, er, leg? Two legs? Coach’s mind? However her contribution is best phrased, the beloved housekeeper offers to train our marmalade obsessed protagonist, to help ensure the fun run is can actually be run, and even has the potential of being (somewhat) fun.

Our Take:

This episode plays on a common theme, but makes it unique to this franchise and series specifically. The previous Paddington animation series went with a body building theme for the episode of a similar title (“Paddington Keeps Fit”, for inquiring minds), but I think swapping in a fun run as the activity was a smart move, both for relatability factors and to keep the animation grounded and interesting rather than purely comedic.

Which is not to say there aren’t more than enough funny moments. With a topic that’s far more physical than previous week’s offerings of scrapbooking and homework help, there are far more opportunities for slapstick humor that manage to be entertaining without at all looking painful.

While there’s certainly training at play, the “montage” has a decidedly Adventures of Paddington feel, that also manages to distinguish itself from the “keeping fit” segment of the movie.

As a runner, I appreciated the sense of realism in how hard it is to get started with this strenuous activity. But I also think that viewers of all ages will benefit from Paddington’s overall lesson, delivered both in his initial and final assertions in his letter to Aunt Lucy that he feels fantastic. Because ultimately, the rewards of physical fitness are (somewhat unfortunately) worth the pain of obtaining them.

Not too many surprises here. The quality, of course, is what viewers have come to expect from the series, and the plot stays well within the realm of calm positivity. I will say that each character’s running animation stands out for being unique and fitting for their personality, while still technically within the realm of how a body could realistically move.

Overall, I enjoyed it as much as any other from the series, and am looking forward to more athletic animation sequences as future storylines develop.