25/41
Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now lives at the Bear Retirement Home. With the Brown family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a secret throws them on an unexpected journey. The director of the previous two films, Paul King, decided not to direct this installment. However, he himself pitched the idea for this third film and is 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 also not as much of a step back as some early reactions led me to believe. Overall, this is still an enjoyable and wonderfully decent experience that’s as entertaining 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, allowing the likable characters to continue to charm even when exposed to a classic sequel outside of their natural environment and discovering the main character’s still-unknown origins. There are plenty of funny moments and the film is good-natured from the first frame. It’s a really lovely film, and sometimes that’s all it needs. What it lacks compared to its predecessors is a strong emotional core. While some of its moments are moving, the piece isn’t particularly moving and won’t get your tear ducts moving. Additionally, some of its characters are pretty perfunctory and, as my brother pointed out, almost seem like an obligatory afterthought. The narrative is generally quite conventional, following a certain formula almost to its core. It’s fairly predictable and feels relatively generic, almost as if it was retrograded for Paddington after the basic beats had already been established. Despite some issues, there’s still more than enough to like about this feature. The likable cast is as strong as ever, and some delightful newcomers (Antonio Banderas and Olivia Coleman) gleefully chew up the scenery whenever necessary. The special effects are consistently good, bringing the eponymous bear to life so convincingly that it seems odd to think he’s never in the same room as the other characters. When he doesn’t make a natural appearance on the red carpet, it feels like someone is missing. The film is light and bouncy; it really gets through and is generally a lot of fun. It’s full of sight gags, imagery and dialogue, as well as slapstick action scenes that will blow your mind. This is a really good time. Ultimately, this is a perfectly respectable addition to the series that’s well-made and consistently enjoyable. It’s a shame that it’s followed by Paddington 2 (2017) because you can argue that it’s the best – or at least most universally appealing – movie of all time, because it’s a really great family movie. If you’re expecting the best movie of all time (again), or even the second best movie of all time, you’ll obviously be disappointed. Still, it’s a great effort that’s charming and entertaining in almost every scene. That’s much better than many similar fare. If you’re not expecting a miracle, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.