Paddington in Peru review

PADDINGTON IN PERU: 

A THIRD HELPING OF MARMALADE AND FAMILY WHOLESOMENESS WITH THE IRRESISTIBLE TITULAR BEAR! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES

Paddington the Bear in Paddington in Peru

 

            Everyone’s favorite marmalade-loving talking bear who sees the good in everyone is back in Paddington in Peru, the third installment of the Paddington film series based on the books by Michael Bond. The Paddington films were some of the most pleasant surprises I’ve ever had in movie theaters because the first Paddington released back in 2015 (The film was first released in 2014 in the UK) did not have a very appealing trailer when it was being marketed, but then it turned out to be one of the best family films of the 2010s in the same boat as Martin Scorsese’s Hugo and even some of the best fully-animated movies made at the time. 

            It wasn’t riddled with tired kids’ movie clichés, fart jokes, and pop-culture references were only used sparingly like an homage to Mission: Impossible where Paddington was climbing up a vent with hand vacuums, the film is a good-natured, wholesome, and irresistibly charming story about a bear and his new adoptive human family and the adventures they have. It also has one of the greatest Nicole Kidman performances you will ever see as a psychotic museum owner who plots to capture and stuff Paddington.  

The 2017/2018 sequel, Paddington 2 was also a pleasant surprise when I went to see it, not because I thought it looked bad by the trailer (Though I was a little skeptical about a sequel to Paddington initially and whether it could recapture the magic), but because it managed to be even better than the first with a touching story where Paddington tries to raise money to buy a gift for his beloved, Aunt Lucy and gets framed for a robbery caused by a scene-stealing Hugh Grant and the lengths his human family will go to bring their bear home. Not to mention, the always-kind, Paddington making friends in the most unexpected of places and a genuinely beautiful ending scene. 

Now, we have the third film with Dougal Wilson in his feature film directorial debut taking over directing duties from Paul King and Sony Pictures/Columbia taking over as the distributor from Warner Bros., who in turn took the distribution rights from The Weinstein Company, Paddington is the Hellboy of family franchises. I had much confidence in Paddington in Peru especially after how great Paddington and especially Paddington 2 were though Sonychoosing to release this on the same day as Disney’s Captain America: Brave New World is still baffling to me. 

Guess what? The movie about the sweet little bear is leagues better than the new Marvel superhero movie out the same weekend. I still think Paddington 2 is the best of the series, but this film once again is a charming movie that will instantly warm of the hearts of both kids and adults with Paddington still being one of the most endearing and easily lovable characters in cinema only this time, he’s bringing his magic from London to Peru. 

The film follows Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw-James Bond franchise, The Danish Girl, Mary Poppins Returns) receiving a letter from the Home for Retired Bears informing him that his Aunt Lucy (voiced by Imelda Staunton-Vera Drake, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Pirates! Band of Misfits) has gone missing in the jungles of Peru. So, Paddington and the Brown family consisting of Henry (Hugh Bonneville-Downton Abbey, The Monuments Men, Muppets Most Wanted), Mary (Emily Mortimer-Elizabeth, Hugo, Mary Poppins Returns; replacing Sally Hawkins from the previous films), Judy (Madeleine Harris-Me and Mrs. Jones, Man Down), Jonathan (Samuel Joslin-The Impossible), and Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters-Harry Potter franchise, Mamma Mia! 1 and 2, Brooklyn) pack their bags and travel from London to Peru to find her while also encountering an eccentric treasure hunter named Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas-Desperado, Spy Kids franchise, Shrek franchise) and his daughter, Gina (Carla Tous) who seek to find the lost city of El Dorado along the way. 

The film also stars Oliva Colman (The Favourite, The Mitchells VS the Machines, Wonka) as The Reverend Mother, Jim Broadbent (Time Bandits, Brazil, Bridget Jones franchise) reprising his role as Samuel Gruber, Hayley Atwell (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Christopher Robin, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One) as Madison, Simon Farnaby (Wonka) as Barry the Flight Attendant, and Ella Bruccoleri (Call the Midwife, Polite Society, The Strangers: Chapter 1) as Rosita the Nun. 

Overall, Paddington in Peru may not pack as big an emotional punch as the second film, but it is still an incredibly wholesome and sweet family movie and a worthy third chapter in a new perfect film trilogy. I will admit this film is the weakest of the trilogy as it does feel more like a jungle adventure movie that just happens to involve Paddington and less like a legit Paddington movie, but the comedy is still very funny and often reminiscent of the old Buster Keaton films and the heartfelt moments are effective. 

Antonio Banderas is a big standout here as a treasure hunter who wants to use Paddington to find gold and is also haunted by literally his own demons with the ghosts of his ancestors taunting him throughout the film. Not quite as memorable as Hugh Grant from Paddington 2, but a wonderful hammy antagonist who does go through an arc over the course of the movie where he has to decide on what his true treasure is between gold and his daughter. 

Hugh Bonneville still delivers some genuinely funny lines as Mr. Brown and Emily Mortimer is a decent replacement for Sally Hawkins as Mrs. Brown though it did take some time to get used to that actor change, but she does well. Olivia Colman gets some laughs as this suspicious-looking nun who is secretly hiding something about Aunt Lucy’s disappearance and Julie Walters gets some standout moments as Mrs. Bird, some of her best bits from all three films in fact. 

But what truly makes this film work is Paddington himself and his genuine kindness and gentlemanly but also curious personality. He is very clumsy and screws things up sometimes, but he always means well and it’s usually to benefit someone else whether a member of the Brown family, his Aunt Lucy, or the people he meets on his adventures with some of his best scenes being when he’s paired up with Antonio Banderas’ Hunter. 

Sam Wilson might have told Paddington he’s “On his left” and Captain America will likely be the big moneymaker for the weekend. But in terms of film quality, Paddington politely asked Sam if he could please move to the right so he can run ahead of him and he did so with very good manners.