‘Paddington 2’ Becomes Top-Rated Film on Rotten Tomatoes After 'Citizen Kane' Loses Perfect Score

Orson Welles' movie was long considered the greatest film of all time; however, that all changed after someone unearthed a negative review from 80 years ago.

April 28, 2021

Paddington 2 has dethroned Citizen Kane as the top-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes. And it’s all thanks to an unearthed negative review from 80 years ago, The Wrap reports.

Orson Welles’ 1941 film has been widely considered the greatest movie of all time—a view that has been long supported by its Rotten Tomatoes score; however, that all changed recently, when someone uncovered an old review by Mae Tinée, a pseudonym once used by the Chicago Tribune’s film critics who clearly were not impressed by Citizen Kane.

“You’ve heard a lot about this picture and I see by the ads that some experts think it ‘the greatest movie ever made.’ I don’t,” the review read. “It’s interesting. It’s different. In fact, it’s bizarre enough to become a museum piece. But its sacrifice of simplicity to eccentricity robs it of a distinction and general entertainment value.”

The review knocked Citizen Kane’s score from 100 percent to 99 percent, paving the way for Paddington 2 to be the highest-rated picture on the website. Citizen Kane currently has 115 positive reviews and a single negative one; Paddington 2 has a total of 244 reviews, all of which are positive.

Paddington 2 hit theaters in 2017, and received widespread critical acclaim. The film, directed by Paul King, is based on the fictional character Paddington Bear created by Michael Bond. It stars Hugh Grant, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, and Ben Whishaw, who voices the beloved bear.

Back in February, Studiocanal confirmed to Variety that a third Paddington installment was in the works, but the details surrounding the project have remained under wraps.