As I was sitting in theater nine at AMC, little kids filled the seats and I wondered why exactly I picked to watch this movie. “Paddington” is an old childrens book that was published in 1972, and now launched into a movie as of Jan. 16.

Maybe the 6-year-old me, who was obsessed with similar characters such as Little Bear, would love to see it. Unfortunately, I was not interested in the story line at all.

The story starts off with a young Peruvian bear who lives with his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) and Uncle Pastuzo (Michael Gambon) who talk about an explorer they crossed paths with long ago. This encounterment led to many new findings for the bears such as telescopes, cameras, and their soon-to-be favorite; Marmalade.

The explorer was amazed by their intelligence that he promised a warm welcome if they ever decided to make their way to London. After a tragic loss, the young bear was sent there for a better life and a new adventure.

After 10 minutes into the movie, I realized I was wrong.

As it turns out, I was impressed by this film. At first I was expecting something childish, but the special effects and animation was very life-like, while still keeping Paddington’s story-book innocence. The crazy antics the furry character gets into causes lots of trouble for the family he meets, but it is hard for viewers to not sympathize for him.

Another factor that made this film unique was Sally Hawkins’ character Mary Brown. With the film being filled with so many Londoners that are busy and on-the-go, she adds the perfect touch of warmth that works well with Paddington’s gentle personality.

Just like I was not excited for the movie; not everyone loved Paddington when he first arrived at in London. However, maybe that is a good thing because it shows us not to judge a book by its cover.