Today I saw Paddington with my wife, Miss Four and Mister Two. We all loved this movie. It had plenty of belly laughs, cuteness, great acting, and lots of set-ups and satisfying pay-offs. And I must say, Paddington, minus his trademark wellington boots (disappointing), is one of the most emotive computer-generated characters I have ever seen.

Paddington is a classic character from English children’s literature. The widely-loved Michael Bond books have now been turned into one of the blockbuster films of this holiday season. This film is Paddington’s “origin” story – a polite Peruvian bear travels to London to find a new home. He moves in with the guy from Downton Abbey, and his family, and mayhem ensues, followed by some touching moments.

It’s fun all the way through and my children were engrossed to the end.There are a couple of references to death (parents dying and a lost uncle) and Nicole Kidman threatening to stuff living animals (yikes!) but overall my children seemed neither scared nor distressed, and overall the movie was light, yet deep enough to convey important messages about family and living life to the fullest.

My verdict: a perfect school holiday flick for adults and children alike. 4.5 marmalade sandwiches out of 5 (could have been 5 out of 5 with the addition of wellington boots!).