33/12
Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now lives at the retired home for bears. Join the Brown family on an exciting adventure as a secret takes them on an unexpected journey. Paul King, the director of the previous two films, chose not to direct this installment. However, he did come up with the idea for this third film and served as an executive producer. Appeared on The Graham Norton Show: Billy Crystal/Emily Mortimer/Hugh Bonneville/Pharrell Williams/Michael Kiwanuka (2024). Paddington in Peru (2024) isn’t 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, it’s still an entertaining and delightfully polite experience that’s as enjoyable as it is well-paced. While the more conventional adventure narrative is less original than the vignette approach of the first two pictures, it still works well enough in this context and allows the beloved characters to continue their charm even if they end up in a classic sequel. They are taken out of their natural habitat to explore the protagonist’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 you need. What it lacks compared to its predecessors is a strong emotional core. Although some of its moments are moving, the work isn’t particularly touching or rousing your tear ducts. Additionally, the portrayal of some of the characters is quite perfunctory and, as my brother pointed out, almost feels like a forced afterthought. The narrative is generally quite conventional and follows a certain pattern almost throughout. It’s fairly predictable and feels relatively generic, almost as if it had been retrofitted into Paddington after the basic ingredients had already been built in. Despite some issues, there’s still more than enough to like about this feature. The lovable cast is as strong as ever, with some delightful newcomers (Antonio Banderas and Olivia Coleman) chewing up the scenery with glee whenever necessary. The special effects are consistently good, bringing the eponymous bear to life in a way that makes it seem odd to think he’s never in the same room as the other characters. Of course, when she doesn’t appear on the red carpet, it feels like someone is missing. The film is light and bouncy; it flies by and is mostly a lot of fun. It’s jam-packed with both visual and dialogue-based gags and slapstick action scenes that will blow your mind. It’s a really good time. Ultimately, this is a perfectly respectable addition to the series that’s well-crafted and consistently enjoyable. It’s unfortunate that it follows Paddington 2 (2017), which is considered the best – or at least the most universally appealing – picture of all time, because this is a really great family film. Anyone expecting the best film of all time (again), or even the second best film of all time, is bound to be disappointed. Still, it’s a solid effort that’s charming and entertaining in almost every scene. It’s much better than many similar fare. If you’re not expecting a miracle, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.