Winnie the Pooh vs. Paddington: Who’s the best movie bear?

Who involves thoughts once you consider an cute, accident-prone bear stepping into hijinks together with his human household? Paddington or Winnie the Pooh? Each are fictional bears of wonderful standing, who present pleasure to kids and fogeys alike. And even simply unhappy adults who must see some good on this planet. Then there’s intelligent wordplay and choice to put on tops with out pants.

Pooh and Paddington have a stunning variety of similarities. But when we had to select one or the opposite — like, gun to the top as a result of there will be no different purpose you’d rank these two stunning child bears — how do you select? The reply is clearly an extremely well-researched, extremely scientific set of Cute Bear standards based mostly on a long time of research.

Pricey readers, we’re going to should make some arduous selections at this time. And I promise I received’t be biased by the truth that for the final a number of weeks I’ve been listening to a podcast episode on repeat the place a person named Otis Grey reads Winnie the Pooh to assist me go to sleep.

Really, public area is a rating for Pooh. Ten factors for accessibility.

Present standing
Winnie the Pooh: 10 Factors
Paddington: 0 Factors

Unique styling – 10 Factors

Each of those bears have been round a very long time – Pooh since 1926 and Paddington since 1958 – the place did they begin of their type journeys? Seems: bare!

A.A. Milne created Pooh bear loosely based mostly on a really generic bear his son – Christopher Robin, natch – carried round. The actual bear itself? Boring. Blasé. Nothing particular. The guide model? Hero. Candy. Good cherubic child bear.

Illustration: E. H. Shepard/Public Area

Paddington, again in 1958 in Michael Bond’s first unique guide for the character, truly seemed a lot the identical as he does at this time. Each bears hadn’t but anthropomorphized to the purpose of needing clothes but. Pooh hadn’t gotten his fire-engine pink t-shirt, nor Paddington his iconic, deep blue pea coat. Padds had the hat, although. I believe which means he wins.

Picture: Michael Bond/Public Area

Present standing
Winnie the Pooh: 10 factors
Paddington: 10 factors

Snacks – 10 Factors

Although each bears want sticky, viscous treats which might be susceptible to sloppy messes, that is no contest. Pooh wins this one. Marmalade is disgusting. I don’t care how cute Paddington is when he teaches the immensely gruff Brenden Gleeson methods to make it in Paddington 2. It’s candied orange peels. And it takes over a day to make. There isn’t any model of Paddington by which it seems good. Seventies cease animation? Gross. 2015 dwell motion? Gross.

In 2011’s Winnie the Pooh, Pooh is so desperately hungry he begins to hallucinate honey in all places he goes. So he sings about it in a monitor referred to as, “Every thing is Honey” and it’s a banger of a track, to be sincere. However actually, let’s level to the animation and the way fantastically tasty this honey seems.

If that’s not sufficient proof – even unanimated, non-2-D, IRL, no matter you need to name it, precise honey is scrumptious. You may put it on biscuits! And in your tea! Along with being one thing sweet-to-eat, honey has additionally been used to assist heal wounds or remedy a sore throat. Discover me a marmalade that may do that. (Don’t discover me a marmalade that may do this.)

I assume there’s something to be mentioned for the truth that Pooh is within the unlucky place of getting to steal his favourite snack from the bees, or invite himself over to Rabbit’s home, however I simply name that ingenuity.

Present standing
Winnie the Pooh: 20 factors
Paddington: 10 factors

From guide to display, half 1 – 10 Factors

Disney licensed the movie rights to Winnie the Pooh in 1961, and a brief 5 years later, Mr. Rumbly in his Tumbly made his animated debut within the 1966 featurette, Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree. The pink shirt – although not a going-to-die pink shirt – model of Pooh Bear was born.

Our display introduction to the bear kicks off with Pooh doing his stoutness workout routines… the aim of which is to get him in a greater place to eat extra meals. And you already know what? That’s the best world proper there.

After I’m up, down, contact the bottom, places me within the temper…

Up, down, contact the bottom, within the temper for (smacks lips) meals

The cartoon goes on to point out Pooh getting right into a collection of mishaps as a way to replenish his empty honey pots. He falls out of a tree on his solution to steal from the bees, borrows Christopher Robin’s balloon so he can fly as much as the hive (spoiler alert: it doesn’t work out), and perhaps probably the most well-known mishap of all, getting caught in his frenemy Rabbit’s doorway after consuming all of Rabbit’s honey. This preliminary featurette gave us so lots of Pooh’s iconic maxims:

• “Suppose… assume… assume…”
• “Rumbly in my tumbly”
• “I’m just a bit black rain cloud”

And it wasn’t even a function movie.

Paddington’s first foray onto the silver display (okay not fairly so silver, he began on the British tv channel BBC1) in 1976 was delightfully do-it-yourself and twee. Set towards a line drawing and evenly painted model of London, Paddington is the one a part of the collection that’s 3D as a tiny little, awkward bear (now in his pea coat and hat). Narrator Michael Hordern does an admirable job dealing with the voice work for each character; however having a single voice over actor means Paddington doesn’t have a very identifiable approach of talking.

The episodes are very near Michael Bond’s unique collection, with the primary one – tailored from chapter one of many first guide — having the Browns discover Paddington on the Paddington Station in London after he’s stowed away on a practice. This present introduces Paddington fairly rapidly and successfully – he hails from Darkest Peru, his Aunt Lucy has moved to the Residence for Retired Bears. We get her patented Exhausting Stare, courtesy of Paddington to a fleecing taxi driver, and even Paddington’s love of snacks and his potential to get into very messy hassle.

The collection didn’t have fairly the endurance or attain that Pooh’s animation offered — I do know I watched it as a child within the 80s on PBS, nevertheless it simply may have been a fever dream or a learn aloud I used to be complicated with one thing else — nevertheless it’s a candy little piece of Paddington’s historical past all the identical. However for sheer recognizability and memorability, Pooh’s received this one within the bag.

Present standing
Winnie the Pooh: 30 factors
Paddington: 10 factors

Voices – 10 Factors

Winnie the Pooh, regardless of plenty of voice actors, has constantly seemed like a candy, if befuddled, older next-door neighbor. His voice is like sitting in a comfortable gown in entrance of the fireplace, ingesting sizzling cocoa. It’s a reminder of childhood and all the enjoyment that got here together with it. “Oh Christopher Robin,” he says, or “Oh, trouble” and you’ll hear it in your head.

Paddington’s been all around the map. Colin Firth was initially solid within the newest movie collection, earlier than Ben Whishaw took over. Firth would have been a lot nearer to Horndern’s narration within the unique stop-motion animation collection, although Ben Whishaw makes Paddington sound just like the pleasant younger man who will decide up your groceries for you once you’re sick. An apart to ask, as soon as once more, for somebody to launch the full-length footage of Whishaw recording his half. I’ll watch all of it. And for that, Paddington wins. 10 factors.

Present standing
Winnie the Pooh 30 Factors
Paddington 20 Factors

From guide to display, half 2 – 10 Factors

Winnie the Pooh has dependably been a part of the animated world — whether or not it’s featurettes or function movies or direct-to-video— since his debut in 1966. Paddington, however, has had begins and stops in his journey from the guide to a transferring bear.

However within the 2010s, each Pooh and Paddington had real-life makeovers.

In 2015, StudioCanal launched Paddington’s reintroduction to the world within the form of a CGI (often animatronic) bear wreaking havoc and burrowing into the hearts of the Browns. It was a far cry from his humble TV beginnings, this bear had a full studio price range. The film was obtained pretty properly, it had drama, motion, and humor. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 97% critics ranking. The actual grasp stroke right here, nonetheless, is in its sequel. 2017’s Paddington 2 – whether or not by advantage of popping out at a time when individuals simply actually wanted a film a few humorous, variety little bear, or as a result of it truly is an precise masterpiece – held onto a 100% critics ranking for nearly 4 years, when a single unfavorable evaluation dropped it to 99%. I’m inclined to imagine the latter; the film may be very practically good in each approach. Paddington goes by means of love and loss, betrayal and reunion, all with the character’s trademark humor and pleasure. Hugh Grant is the proper foil, and all of the favorites from the primary film come again to by some means ingratiate themselves additional into the viewer’s coronary heart. A triumph!

However what does that imply for Winnie the Pooh who turned real-bear in Disney’s 2018 film, Christopher Robin? First, there’s the look. Pooh is a “actual bear” insofar as he’s not two-dimensional. He’s nonetheless a strolling stuffed animal, not like Paddington, who’s an precise new species of clever bear. And the film itself is a way more somber have a look at the 100 Acre Wooden crowd. It’s, basically, about Christopher Robin’s lack of childhood innocence and his disconnection from his former self. He has to seek out it once more with the assistance of Winnie the Pooh who has gone in search of him a long time after Christopher Robin says goodbye. It’s positively an emotional, adult-focused movie in a approach that Paddington isn’t — however that doesn’t imply there aren’t wonderful Pooh-aphorisms. A-POOHrisms? I’m sorry.

Picture: Walt Disney Photos

As a result of these variations are so totally different, and scratch such wildly totally different components of the mind, I … really can’t select. It’s a tie.

Present standing
Winnie the Pooh: 35 Factors
Paddington: 25 Factors

Music – 10 Factors

Look, Paddington 2 has a great musical quantity on the finish, full with a Hugh Grant extravaganza.

However… Winnie the Pooh has 1977’s deeply weird and unsettling however catchy-as-hell “Heffalumps and Woozles”, he has the aforementioned “Up and Down” stoutness train track, the “I’m a Little Black Rain Cloud” … and whereas technically that is Tigger’s, “Tiggers are Great Issues” is an ideal track and we wouldn’t have it with out Winnie the Pooh current.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axPPL1FO5mU

Pooh’s musical prowess is not only a results of nostalgia – 2011’s Winnie the Pooh film had a brand-new track referred to as, “The Backson”. The title is a results of Christopher Robin leaving a word that he can be ‘again quickly.’ Pooh’s songs are a terrific have a look at methods to musically cope with nervousness, I’m starting to comprehend. A+ work throughout.

Winner: Pooh Bear.

Present standing
Winnie the Pooh: 45 Factors
Paddington: 25 Factors

How a lot they will emotionally compromise your common, not-depressed grownup, who I repeat will not be depressed – 10 Factors

In Paddington 2, Paddington’s aim is to seek out the proper birthday present for his Aunt Lucy. Sadly, by means of a collection of misadventures he leads to jail fully alone and underneath the impression that his household, the Browns, have forgotten him after they don’t present up for visiting hours. The bear’s assumption that he’s fully alone is… really devastating. Have a look at this face.

Picture: Studio Canal

How may you need this face to be forgotten?

Picture: Studio Canal

In fact, then you may have Winnie the Pooh in Christopher Robin. The premise is – by advantage of being about an grownup who has forgotten what it means to be a toddler and to not be so targeted on work that you just miss the essential issues – inherently miserable for adults watching. The film begins with Pooh waking up within the 100 Acre Wooden, solely to seek out that every one his pals are lacking.

Picture: Walt Disney Photos

He rapidly finds Christopher Robin, now grown into an effectivity officer of a baggage firm and grappling with having to let staff go, to come back assist. After which this occurs.

Photographs: Walt Disney Photos

Ultimately, Christopher Robin reunites the gang and rediscovers his spirit. It’s coronary heart wrenching and warming. To be sincere, Winnie the Pooh wins this class, principally, due to this:

Photographs: Walt Disney Photos

Closing level tally

Winnie the Pooh: 55 Factors
Paddington: 25 Factors
Me: -1,000 factors, for having to put in writing this piece and select between my two favourite bears.