10 Greatest Movie Villains Of The Last Decade
5. Phoenix Buchanan - Paddington 2
Comebacks are a dime a dozen these days, and with so many dramatic career rebirths to enjoy, Hugh Grant’s reinvention as a foppish fiend can be forgotten. On TV he was astonishing in A Very English Scandal, but his substantially more charming villainous work in Paddington 2 ranks among the best of his estimable career.
The bear-based sequel is one of the best family films of recent years (if not ever), and much of this is down to Grant’s genuinely hilarious turn as baddie Phoenix Buchanan. Grant channels much of himself into the part, a once-renowned actor who has turned to the dark side in hard times.
He pitches it perfectly, hamming it up like an old fashioned cartoon to give the kids a laugh, but with a performance weird and wonderful enough to easily entertain the parents, too. He is clearly having a blast in the role, giving his all to make his performance as bonkers and fun as humanly possible.
The character is a hoot, experiencing a Shakespearean breakdown during a lengthy soliloquy. Paddington is great old fashioned entertainment, with Hugh Grant’s Phoenix its centrepiece revival act.