James Gunn Reveals One of the Greatest Movies Ever Made: “People Think I’m Being Ironic When I Say That”
James Gunn, the director known for big hits like Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad, recently sat down for an interview with the French media outlet Konbini. During the chat, he shared his thoughts on movies that have stuck with him, his all-time favorites, and some that don’t get the recognition they deserve.
One movie stood out in particular as Gunn walked over to where Paddington in Peru was on the display and commented the following:
“Uh, well, this Paddington I haven’t seen, but Paddington 2 is a classic film. It’s one of the greatest movies ever made. People think I’m being ironic when I say that, but I’m telling the truth.”
JAMES GUNN calls PADDINGTON 2 “one of the greatest movies ever made”
— Reel Updates (@worldofreel) July 13, 2025
“It’s a classic […] People think I’m being ironic when I say that, but I’m telling the truth.”https://t.co/0QC0s8h39P pic.twitter.com/aSdDvSeedm
Paddington 2 is a comedy movie from 2017. It mixes live-action with animation and was directed by Paul King, who also wrote the script with Simon Farnaby. It’s based on the Paddington Bear stories by Michael Bond, and the movie is dedicated to him because he passed away that same year.
This was the second movie in the Paddington series. Ben Whishaw voices Paddington, and the live-action cast includes Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, and Hugh Grant.
The story follows Paddington as he gets blamed for a crime he didn’t do. He ends up in prison, and his family works to find the real thief and clear his name.
Paddington 2 got great reviews from critics and was named one of the best movies of the year and even the decade. It was nominated for three BAFTA Awards, including Best British Film and Best Supporting Actor for Hugh Grant.
Paddington 2 received high praise from critics and audiences alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 99% approval rating from over 250 reviews, with an average score of 8.7 out of 10. For a time, it held the record as the most-reviewed film to keep a perfect 100% score, even beating Toy Story 2. Though its score eventually dropped to 99% in 2021 after a single negative review, some joked it was now “better” than Citizen Kane, which had also lost its perfect rating. So you can see why Gunn has such high praise for the movie.
On Metacritic, it holds a score of 88 out of 100, showing “universal acclaim.” In France, AlloCiné gave it an average of 4 out of 5 stars, and CinemaScore audiences gave it an “A” grade, just like the first Paddington movie.
Critics praised its charm, humor, and heart. Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter said it makes life feel “a tiny bit more bearable.” Guy Lodge of Variety called it “near pawfect” and noted its subtle modern themes.
Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian praised its balance of humor for both kids and adults. In 2019, The Guardian even named it the 69th best film of the 21st century.
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