Paddington in Peru, the third cinematic entry for Michael Bond’s famous bear, falls short of its predecessors. Directed by Dougal Wilson (his feature film debut) with the titular bear voiced by Ben Whishaw (No Time to Die). Campy performances mixed with wholesome character arcs result in a watchable family flick. However, this entry lacks the charm of the first two films.
Paddington in Peru sees Paddington earn his passport and jet back to his homeland to see Aunt Lucy. Convincing the Browns to make it a family holiday. Mrs. Brown (Emily Mortimer) jumps at the chance to have time with her children before they leave the nest. Risk averse Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville) uses it as an opportunity to impress his new, risk-loving boss.
The Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman, having a blast), in charge of the Home for Retired Bears, informs the Browns that Aunt Lucy is missing. This kicks off a jungle search and rescue where the Browns enlist the help of riverboat captain Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas). They set off in search of Aunt Lucy, who has disappeared near the rumored entrance to the mythical, gold-laden city of El Dorado.
Taking Paddington away from London is a risk that doesn’t pay off. The best of Paddington and Paddington 2 was how Paddington moved around London. The humor stemmed from the situation comedy, all the ‘spots of bother’ and the absurdity of an anthropomorphic bear encountering Londoners.
The script is flipped, it’s now the Brown family adjusting to their new surroundings in the jungle. The film bases most of the jokes around Mr. Brown’s resolution to be adventurous. Resulting in trite, predictable gags and stunts that are done to death and deservedly fall flat. This results in about an hour’s worth of middling snoozing before a third act plot twist ramps up the story.
Paddington in Peru annoyingly breaks up adventure by digging deep into exposition heavy scenes to over explain obvious plot points. This flick tells. It tells a lot, then tells a bit more. Rather than sticking to the showing. Paddington in Peru treats everyone like they’re three years old.
As wholesome as it can be, Paddington in Peru is not a bad movie. It’s just disappointing compared to the previous films. In cinemas now, it rates 7/10 marmalade sandwiches. The kids will love it!
