‘Paddington in Peru’ Review

‘Paddington in Peru’ is the latest film in the simply delightful Paddington trilogy, and it provides a lot of the expected pleasures of such a film. As in the previous two movies, we follow the whimsical misadventures of Paddington Brown, voiced by Ben Whishaw, and his British adoptive family. When Paddington receives a secretive letter from the Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman), who oversees a retirement community for bears, voicing concern about his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) falling on hard times, he sees no other option but to go back to his homeland and make sure his Aunt is okay.

Always ready to meet Paddington’s needs, and desperate for an opportunity to spend more time together before the now teenage children leave home, the Brown family packs their bags and set off for Peru, where of course nothing goes as smoothly as planned.

This is the first of the film franchise not to take place in London, and I found myself missing the oddball cast of supporting characters who added such color to the first two films. We briefly encounter many of these characters in the opening scenes, but once the family heads to Peru, the settings, the characters, the entire world is changed in a mixed bag of surprises. Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas join the cast, equalling the charm and fun that Hugh Grant brought so memorably to ‘Paddington 2’. Colman in particular generates much of the humor, beginning with an opening credits musical number that works its way from sweet to absurd to hilarious.

While updating the setting from London to Peru is of course a significant change, there are two other major creative differences between this film and its predecessors. In the role of Mrs. Brown, Sally Hawkins has been replaced by Emily Mortimer and Dougal Wilson has taken over directing duties from Paul King. Both individuals do well enough in their jobs, but it adds to the discontinuity from the previous two films, a breaking up of the magic. Being released eight years after the perfection of ‘Paddington 2’, the kids are all grown up, the mother is a different person, and this bizarre but wholesome world feels just a little less remarkable for it.

That’s not to say this isn’t a worthy addition to the franchise. There is charm and heart to spare, even when it leans a little dangerously into sappiness. Slapstick comedic set pieces abound as Paddington, as he is want to do, makes all sorts of small problems into much bigger ones in his attempts to solve them. The plot is powered through a child’s logic, as the family ends up questing to find the lost city of El Dorado.

When ‘Paddington 2’ came out in 2017, the world was shocked at just how perfect it was: the cast, the filmmaking, the world blending together action, suspense, and humor for all ages. ‘Paddington in Peru’ never matches the highs of that phenomenal film, few films do, and yet there is enough here to enjoy on its own merits. Just as with the previous two films, I left the theater just a little happier, just a little more hopeful about the world, and that is a rare enough feeling to accomplish that it must be praised when it happens.

Paddington in Peru
Rated PG for action, mild rude humor and some thematic elements.
Running Time: 1 hour and 46 minutes

Director Dougal Wilson
Writers Mark Burton, Jon Foster, James Lamont
Stars Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Carla Tous, Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, Ben Whishaw
Rating PG
Running Time 106 Minutes
Genres Adventure, Comedy, Family