‘Paddington 2’ Dethroned as Top Rotten Tomatoes Film After Negative Review: “Should Be Shot Into Space”

By Fletcher Peters @fIetcherpeters
Published May 28, 2021, 5:45 p.m. ET

Where to Stream:

Paddington 2

Powered by Reelgood

More On:

Paddington 2

Grab your marmalade to commiserate: Paddington 2 has been dethroned as the best movie of all time, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Per the review aggregator’s freshness ratings, the endearing 2018 adventure film has just been demoted, and a new winner has risen to grab the slot.

Just last month, Paddington 2 made headlines when it snatched the top Rotten Tomatoes slot from Citizen Kane after a negative review of the 1941 classic resurfaced. The shift caused fans to declare Paddington 2 as the top movie of all time, due to the fact that it was the most-reviewed film with a 100 percent score on the platform.

But a new review has knocked Paddington 2 down a notch, and now, it sits at a whopping 99 percent on the Tomatometer. The review came from Film Authority, published today (May 28, 2021), and written by critic Eddie Harrison today. “I reviewed Paddington 2 negatively for BBC radio on release in 2017, and on multiple occasions after that, and I stand by every word of my criticism,” Harrison writes.

The new review slammed Paddington 2 for being “contrived and ridiculous,” calling the little bear “over-confident, snide and sullen,” and argued that “considerations of race and identity, key to the Paddington character, are not addressed.”

“This is not my Paddington Bear, but a sinister, malevolent imposter who should be shot into space, or nuked from space at the first opportunity,” Harrison writes. “Over-confident, snide and sullen, this manky-looking bear bears little relation to the classic character, and viewers should be warned; this ain’t yo mamma’s Paddington bear, and it won’t be yours either.”

Even though Paddington 2 fans were quick to dismiss Harrison as an internet troll looking to stir the pot, Harrison is credited with over 600 reviews on the site, which goes back decades.

Needless to say, there’s a new top movie in town. And, good news, it’s nearly as endearing (if not more than) Paddington 2. Pixar’s 1999 Toy Story 2 has taken the prestigious award, meaning Paddington Bear will be forced to hand over the title to Woody the Cowboy. It could be worse!

Where to Watch Paddington 2