11/19
Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who is now residing at the Retired Bears Home. With the Brown family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey. The director of the previous two films, Paul King, has decided not to direct this installment. However, he did pitch the idea for this third film and was on board 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)’ isn’t as good as ‘Paddington 2 (2017)’, but it’s not as big a step down as some initial reactions led me to believe. For the most part, it’s still an entertaining and delightfully polite experience that’s as enjoyable as it is energetic. While the more standard adventure narrative is less idiosyncratic than the vignette approach of the first two pictures, it still works well enough in this context and allows its lovable characters to remain engaging even when they are subject to the classic aftereffect of being kidnapped out of their natural habitat to explore 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 genuinely enjoyable film and sometimes that’s all it needs compared to its predecessors is a strong emotional core. While some of its moments are touching, the piece isn’t especially moving and won’t get your tear ducts working. Additionally, some of its character work is rather perfunctory and, as my brother pointed out, almost feels like an obligatory afterthought. The narrative overall is fairly conventional and follows a specific formula almost to the letter. It’s fairly predictable and feels relatively generic, almost as if it was adapted to Paddington after its basic beats had already been defined. Despite its few issues, there’s still more than enough to like about this feature. Its adorable cast is as strong as ever, with some charming newcomers (Antonio Banderas and Olivia Coleman) chewing the scenery with glee whenever needed. The special effects are consistently good, bringing the eponymous bear to life in such a way that it’s strange to think he’s never in the same space as the other characters. When he’s not, naturally, appearing on the red carpet, it feels like someone is missing. The film is light and bouncy; it really flies by and is generally a lot of fun. It’s packed with jokes, both visual and dialogue-based, and slapstick action scenes that will knock your socks off. It’s a genuinely good time. Ultimately, this is a perfectly respectable addition to its series that’s well-made and enjoyable throughout. It’s unfortunate that it follows ‘Paddington 2 (2017)’, as it can be argued that it’s the best, or at least most universally appealing, film of all time, because it’s really a great family film. If you’re expecting the best movie of all time (again) or even the second best movie of all time, you’re obviously going to be disappointed. However, it’s a solid effort that’s charming and entertaining in virtually every single scene. It’s much better than a lot of similar fare. If you’re not expecting a miracle, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.