34/47
Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now lives in the Bear Retirement Home. With the Brown family in tow, an exciting adventure follows when a mystery throws them on an unexpected journey. The director of the previous two films, Paul King, decided not to direct this part. However, he pitched the idea for this third film and was involved as an executive producer. Featured on The Graham Norton Show: Billy Crystal/Emily Mortimer/Hugh Bonneville/Pharrell Williams/Michael Kiwanuka (2024). 'Paddington in Peru (2024)' it’s not as good as 'Paddington 2 (2017)', but it’s not as big a step down as some early reactions have led me to believe. Overall, this is still a fun and wonderfully decent experience that’s as enjoyable as it is lively. While the more standard adventure story is less idiosyncratic than the vignette approach of the first two pictures, it still works well enough in this context and allows its likeable characters to continue to charm even when they’re subjected to a classic sequel taken out of their natural habitat to explore the main character’s as-yet-unknown origins . There are plenty of funny moments and the film is good-natured from the first frame. It’s a really nice movie, and sometimes that’s all you need. What it lacks compared to its predecessors is a strong emotional core. While a few of its moments are moving, the piece isn’t particularly moving and won’t get your tear ducts moving. Plus, some of his characters are pretty shallow and, as my brother pointed out, seem almost like an obligatory afterthought. The narrative is generally quite conventional and follows a specific formula almost to the core. It’s pretty predictable and feels relatively generic, almost like it was retrograded for Paddington after its basic beats were already mapped out. Despite a few issues, there’s still more than enough to like about this feature. Its likable cast is as strong as ever, with some delightful newcomers (Antonio Banderas and Olivia Coleman) gleefully chewing the scenery whenever that’s what it takes. The special effects are consistently good, convincingly bringing the eponymous bear to life in such a way that it’s strange to think that he’s never in the same space as the other characters. When he doesn’t naturally appear on the red carpet, it feels like someone is missing. The film is light and bouncy; it really comes through and is generally a lot of fun. It is full of gags, visual and dialogue, and slapstick action scenes that will knock you off your feet. This is a really good time. Ultimately, this is a perfectly respectable addition to its series that is well made and enjoyable throughout. It’s a shame it’s followed by ‘Paddington 2 (2017)’, as there’s an argument to be made that it’s the best – or, at least, most universally appealing – picture of all time, because this is a truly great family film. If you’re expecting (again) the best movie of all time or even the second best movie of all time, you’re obviously going to be disappointed. However, it’s a terrific effort that’s charming and entertaining in almost every scene. That’s much better than many similar prices. If you’re not expecting a miracle, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
