Paddington in Peru (2024)

"Paddington in Peru" stars Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Carla Tous, Olivia Colman, and Antonio Banderas.  Released in the United Kingdom on November 8, 2024, followed by a United States release on February 14, 2025, the film has Paddington and his family traveling to Peru to find his missing Aunt Lucy.
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The film featured the directorial debut of Dougal Wilson, known for directing the John Lewis Christmas adverts and several short films like "Largo al factotum" and "No Pressure".  It is the third installment in the Paddington film series, which is based on the Paddington Bear stories by Michael Bond.  With how things have been turning out recently, we could all use a bit of innocence and hope occasionally.  Of course, regarding me, there's no better way to provide that sense of harmless escapism than with a film fit for the entire family.  One that's deemed possible to "bear".  Yes, that pun was intentional and with good reason.  This latest family-friendly sequel sees the return of Michael Bond's uplifting and courteous bear, who has been captivating the world since 1958 through his adventures on the pages and television screens.  His cinematic outings that began in 2014 also proved that the franchise's charm has yet to dwindle regarding the films' critical and commercial successes, and it's looking to have a Broadway musical on its way soon.  Until then, we have another cinematic adventure in the franchise that takes Paddington back to his original home with his human family in tow.  Does it still contain the heart and charm of the previous films, or is this vacation "unbearable" to witness?  Let's find out.

The story once again centers on Paddington (Whishaw), an anthropomorphic bear living with the Brown family consisting of Henry (Bonneville), Mary (Mortimer), and their two children, Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) and Judy (Madeleine Harris).  One day, Paddington receives a letter from the home for retired bears in Peru, notifying him of Aunt Lucy's (Imelda Staunton) strange behavior.  This prompted Paddington and the Browns to travel to Peru to visit her, only to discover that Aunt Lucy had gone missing.  Using the clues she left behind, Paddington must rediscover the instincts he left behind to find her while uncovering a sinister plot that could threaten his family.

It wasn't until 2014's "Paddington" that I was fully exposed to the bear who's as cuddly and kindhearted as Winnie-the-Pooh.  With an abundance of charisma, heart, and humor within its all-ages storytelling, "Paddington" was a genuinely well-deserving surprise that accomplished the one thing most live-action/CGI adaptations struggled to achieve: being faithful to its source material without modernizing it constantly.  "Paddington 2" also did the impossible in being as good, if not better than its predecessor, signaling a brighter future for the franchise on the big screen.  This leaves us with "Paddington in Peru", another kid-friendly live-action/CGI hybrid threequel that takes the characters beyond the comfort of their home.  As far as those sequels go, like "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked", they tend to impress kids with their overseas shenanigans but also fall extremely short in their straightforward narratives and humor to let the adults enjoy the ride.  With "Paddington" following the same concept and a new director on board, it was concerning that the franchise could follow suit in this downward trend.  Luckily, that doesn't appear to be the case.

The "Paddington" films are usually known for their lighthearted and simplistic tones, but they also provide a subtly offbeat and imaginative vibe in their presentations to help them stand out from other family-friendly options.  They're humorous enough to delight plenty of kids and endearing enough to remind adults of the simpler and innocent times without overshadowing them with pop culture references and modernized jokes.  So, if you loved the previous installments because of that, then there's no doubt you'll feel the same about "Paddington in Peru" as I did.  Following the same path as the first two films, "Paddington in Peru" is a straightforward and charmingly engaging family adventure that balances British bizarreness with a genuine yet occasionally corny heart.  It often gets lost in its franchise fatigue and pacing, but it found its way back by understanding the basic principles of the previous films without needlessly upping the ante in each sequel.
 
Dougal Wilson had plenty of expectations to live up to when it came to taking over directorial duties for the franchise.  Paul King didn't return to direct "Paddington in Peru", but he's still involved with coming up with the story, leaving Wilson to take over.  Considering this is his first feature film as a director, it's hard not to be concerned about how Dougal Wilson would fare in carrying the legacy compared to King.  Fortunately, my concerns fluttered away upon watching the film.  While far from spectacular, Wilson managed to maintain the previous movies' innocent essence through its framework, production design, and visual gags reminiscent of a Wes Anderson movie.  In a way, it represented something out of a special episode of a Saturday morning cartoon that both kids and adults can enjoy with its charisma, comedy, and messages.  Despite not matching Paul King's own sense of family-friendly appeal, Wilson's vision could be seen as a starting point for his career as a feature film director.

Regarding the story, "Paddington in Peru" may seem like a simplistic and inconsequential sequel on paper, but there's more to the plot that makes it better than expected.  During Paddington's adventure in Peru, the film provides a sense of closure regarding the bear's origins and where he comes from. It featured heartwarming moments between the characters and highlighted the importance of family, no matter their background. The subplot involving the characters searching for the mythical "El Dorado" reinforced the idea that family is a treasure more valuable than gold.  Of course, even with its heartfelt and innocent nature, the storytelling is far from perfect.  In addition to the pacing being a bit slow for younger kids, the plot can be predictable and sometimes corny in its dynamic, especially regarding the film's uninteresting antagonist.  The film also had some underutilized narrative elements, including the Browns' changing family dynamic, which would've worked in exploring its emotional depth involving their growth further.  But then again, what else should we expect from a family movie about a bear living in London?  The narrative may not pack a sentimental punch in its themes compared to the previous two films.  Nonetheless, it's still a fun and suitably comforting family adventure that's well-mannered for its all-ages audience, mainly when the humor focuses more on its innocence than modern pop culture references.

Most of the cast returned once again to reprise their roles from the previous films, except Sally Hawkins, who was replaced by Emily Mortimer for her role of Mary Brown.  While there were times when their performances felt a bit stale, they still did pretty well in capturing the characters' charismatic and supportive personalities worthy of the film's tone.  Ben Whishaw proved to me once more that he was the perfect choice to voice Paddington.  The bear's innocent and well-mannered persona was one of the significant aspects that made Paddington a beloved beacon of inspiration and hope, and Whishaw didn't skip a beat in capturing that personality effectively, whether for comedy or drama.  Hugh Bonneville continues to be an entertaining presence as Henry Brown, mainly due to his arc involving him facing his phobia of risk-taking. Emily Mortimer was also a serviceable replacement for Sally Hawkins regarding her performance as Mary.  I would also credit Antonio Banderas for providing plenty of energy and heart into his performance of Hunter Cabot, a treasure hunter searching for the lost city of El Dorado, continuing his trend of delighting families with his playful roles outside his mature ones.  Olivia Colman had a few decent moments to make herself a respectable addition to the cast as The Reverend Mother despite the predictable twist involving her true identity.

Overall, "Paddington in Peru" further expands the beloved franchise with another all-ages adventure that's as endearingly sweet as a jar of marmalade.  It may not be on par with the previous films regarding its hit-and-miss plot elements and pacing.  However, I still admire this sequel for maintaining the predecessors' innocence and charm without going overboard with its overseas shenanigans and kid-friendly humor.  It's another delightful and heartwarming family film that showcases compassion in its messages and craft thanks to its solid cast, Dougal Wilson's approach to its simplistic tone and story, and charming humor.  More importantly, it would undoubtedly remind people that it doesn't hurt to be as polite as Paddington every once in a while.  I would gladly recommend this film to those who loved the previous "Paddington" films and those who want something more tolerable than mindless.

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