30/15
Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now lives in a retirement home for bears. The Brown family embarks on an exciting adventure when a secret throws them on an unexpected journey. Paul King, the director of the previous two films, decided not to direct this installment. However, he had an idea for this third film and was on board as an executive producer. Starring 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 not as big a step back as some early reactions led me to believe. For the most part, this is still a fun and delightfully polite experience that’s as enjoyable as it is lively. While the more conventional adventure story is less original than the vignette approach of the first two films, it still works well enough in this context, allowing its beloved characters to continue their charm even as they find themselves thrust into a classic sequel story where they are removed from their natural habitat to investigate the protagonist’s as-yet-unknown origins. There are plenty of funny moments and the film is good-natured from the very first shot. It’s a truly beautiful film, and sometimes that’s all you need. It lacks the strong emotional core of its predecessors. While some of its moments are moving, the play isn’t particularly touching and won’t get your tear ducts working. Additionally, some of the character work is quite shallow and, as my brother noted, almost feels like a forced afterthought. The narrative is generally quite conventional and follows a certain formula down to almost the smallest detail. It’s fairly predictable and feels relatively generic, almost like it was retrofitted into Paddington after the basic elements had already been established. Despite its few issues, the film still has more than enough to keep you going. The beloved cast is as strong as ever, and there are delightful new additions (Antonio Banderas and Olivia Coleman) who happily smash up the scenery whenever needed. The special effects are consistently good, bringing the titular bear to life in a believable way that makes it strange to think he’s never in the same place as the other characters. Of course, when he doesn’t appear on the red carpet, it feels like someone is missing. The film is light and lively; it flies by and is generally funny. It’s full of gags, both visual and dialogue-based, and slapstick scenes that will blow your mind. It’s a really good time. Ultimately, this is a completely respectable addition to the series, one that’s well-made and consistently entertaining. It’s unfortunate that it follows Paddington 2 (2017), because you could argue that this is the best – or at least the most universally appealing – film of all time, because this is a truly great family film. If you’re expecting the best film of all time (again) or even the second best film of all time, you’ll be disappointed. However, it’s a rock-solid performance that’s charming and entertaining in almost every scene. It’s much better than many similar films. If you’re not expecting miracles, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.