24/28
Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved aunt Lucy, who is now residing at the home for retired bears. With the Brown family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery sends them on an unexpected journey. The director of the previous two films, Paul King, decided not to direct this installment. However, he pitched the idea for this third film and was brought on board as an executive producer. Starring 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 backward as some early reactions led me to believe. For the most part, it’s still a delightfully polished and entertaining experience that’s as enjoyable as it is lively. While the more standard adventure narrative is less idiosyncratic than the vignette approach of the first two films, it still works well enough in that context and allows its lovable characters to continue to charm even as they are subjected to the classic sequel thing of being taken out of their natural habitat to explore the main character’s as-yet-unknown origins. There are plenty of funny moments and the film is well-natured from the very beginning. It’s a very good film, and sometimes that’s all it needs. What it lacks compared to its predecessors is a strong emotional core. While a handful of its moments are touching, the film isn’t particularly poignant and won’t get your tear ducts working. Additionally, some of its characters are rather shallow and, as my brother pointed out, almost feel like an obligatory afterthought. The narrative in general is rather formulaic and follows a specific formula almost to the letter. The film feels fairly predictable and relatively generic, almost as if it was adapted for Paddington after its basic beats had already been laid out. Despite its few issues, there’s still more than enough to enjoy in this film. Its lovable cast is as strong as ever, with a couple of delightful newcomers (Antonio Banderas and Olivia Coleman) happily chewing up the scenery whenever necessary. The special effects are consistently good, believably bringing the eponymous bear to life in a way that makes it strange to think he’s never actually in the same space as the other characters. When he’s naturally not appearing on the red carpet, it feels like someone’s missing. The film is light and dynamic; it flies by really quickly and is generally a lot of fun. It’s filled with a marmalade of gags, both visual and dialogue-based, and slapstick action scenes that make you lose your mind. It’s a great time. Ultimately, this is a perfectly respectable addition to its series that is well-made and enjoyable from start to finish. It is unfortunate that it follows “Paddington 2 (2017)”, as it is arguably the best – or at least the most universally appealing – film of all time, as it is truly a great family film. If you are expecting the best film of all time (again) or even the second best film of all time, you will obviously be disappointed. However, this is a rock-solid effort that is charming and entertaining in almost every scene. It is far better than many similar films. If you don’t go into it expecting a miracle, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.