If there was any doubt as to whether or not “Paddington” is one of the greatest films of all time…well, there’s no longer any doubt, because “Paddington 2” has replaced “Citizen Kane” as the top-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Citizen Kane” has long been the top-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes with a 100% rating on the “Tomatometer.” But as of Tuesday, it’s slipped from 100% to 99% – all thanks to a negative review from 80 years ago. Yes, an 80-year-old review from the Chicago Tribune’s Mae Tinée with the headline “‘Citizen Kane’ Fails to Impress Critic as Greatest Ever Filmed” was what knocked the film off its pedestal.
The discovery was first made on Twitter, when someone posted a screenshot of the rating and review, alerting the world that, in case we forgot, our past can always come back to haunt us. We know there’s no way this reviewer could have known that her words would still be relevant 80 years later. But we should be thanking her because she helped everyone’s favorite bear achieve the best kind of fame.
“Citizen Kane” dropping its perfect score meant that “Paddington 2,” which boasts a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes’ “Tomatometer,” can now officially be known as the greatest film of all time. There’s no longer any contest. And look, we get why the Orson Welles film is usually hailed as one of the greatest movies of all time. Despite the fact that it famously lost its Oscar for Best Picture, it’s basically a staple of iconic cinema.
But you really can’t compete with one of the most lovable bears with a heart of gold and an affection for marmalade. Thankfully, the rest of the world seems to agree.
Enjoy your win, Paddington – you deserve it.
