48/38

Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now lives in a Bear Retirement Home. With the Brown family in tow, an exciting adventure ensues when a mystery throws them on an unexpected journey. The director of the previous two films, Paul King, decided not to direct this installment. However, he came up with the idea for this third film and was involved 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)’ is not as good as ‘Paddington 2 (2017)’, but it’s not as big a step down as some early reviews led me to believe. Overall, this is still a fun and wonderfully polite experience that is as enjoyable as it is lively. While the more standard adventure story is less idiosyncratic than the vignette approach of the first two pictures, it still works well enough in this context, allowing its likable characters to continue to charm even as they are subjected to the classic sequel of being taken out of their natural habitat to explore the still unknown origins of the main character. There are plenty of funny moments and the film is good-natured from the first frame. It is a genuinely beautiful film, and sometimes that is all you need. What it lacks compared to its predecessors is a strong emotional core. While a few of its moments are moving, the piece is not particularly moving and will not move your tear ducts. Furthermore, some of its characters are quite superficial and, as my brother pointed out, feel almost like an obligatory afterthought. The narrative is generally quite conventional and follows a specific formula almost to the core. It is quite predictable and feels relatively generic, almost as if it was retrograded for Paddington after its basic rhythms had already been laid out. Despite a few issues, there’s still more than enough to like about this feature. Its likable cast is as strong as ever, with some delightful newcomers (Antonio Banderas and Olivia Coleman) happily chewing up the scenery whenever that’s what’s needed. The special effects are consistently good, convincingly 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 doesn’t naturally appear on the red carpet, it feels like someone is missing. The film is light and bouncy; it really does move along and is generally a lot of fun. It’s full of gags, both visual and dialogue-wise, and slapstick action scenes that knock you off your feet. This is a really good time. Ultimately, this is a perfectly respectable addition to its series that’s well-made and enjoyable throughout. It’s a shame that it’s followed by ‘Paddington 2 (2017),’ as there’s an argument to be made that it’s the best – or, at least, the most universally appealing – picture of all time, because this is a truly great family film. If you’re expecting (again) the best film of all time or even the second best film of all time, you’ll obviously be disappointed. However, it’s a solid effort that’s charming and funny in almost every scene. It’s a lot better than many similarly priced films. If you’re not expecting a miracle, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

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