22/44
Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now lives at Bear Nursing Home. With the Brown family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues as a mystery takes 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 involved as an executive producer. Cast 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 of the early reviews had me believe. For the most part, it’s still a fun and pleasantly polite experience, as enjoyable as it is vigorous. While the more standard adventure story is less eccentric than the vignette approach of the first two pictures, it still works well enough in this context, allowing its lovable characters to continue to charm even as they are subjected to a classic sequel. It’s taken out of their natural habitat to explore the main character’s still-unknown origins. There are plenty of funny moments, and the film is good from the first shot. It’s a very beautiful film, and sometimes that’s 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 isn’t particularly moving and won’t trigger the tear ducts. Additionally, some of its character work is pretty shallow, and as my brother pointed out, it almost feels like an afterthought. The story is generally pretty conventional, following a specific pattern almost to the end. It’s fairly predictable and feels fairly generic, almost as if it was adapted for Paddington after the basic beats had already been written. Despite a few issues, there’s still more than enough to do with this feature. Its lovable cast is as strong as ever, with a couple of wonderful newcomers (Antonio Banderas and Olivia Coleman) happily chewing up the scenery whenever needed. The special effects are consistently good, and believably bring 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’s not appearing on the red carpet in a natural way, it feels like someone is missing. The film is light and airy; it really flies by, and it’s generally a lot of fun. It’s full of gags, both visual and dialogue-based, and slapstick scenes that will knock you off your feet. It’s a very good time. Ultimately, this is a perfectly decent addition to its series, which is well-crafted and entertaining. It’s unfortunate that it’s followed by „Paddington 2 (2017),” because there’s an argument to be made about which is 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 the greatest film of all time (again) or even the second greatest film of all time, you’ll obviously be disappointed. However, it’s a solid effort, charming and entertaining in almost every scene. It’s much better than many others at a similar price. If you’re not expecting a miracle, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.