Paddington in Peru Review
To think that it’s been seven years since audiences got to see Michael Bond’s lovable little bear is quite shocking. Yet, Paddington managed to stay in our hearts thanks to his cute mannerisms, optimistic attitude, and love for marmalade. In fact, Paddington’s rise in popularity can be heavily attributed to the films’ universal appeal to kindness, generosity, and classy playfulness. However, Paddington in Peru offers something different than its predecessors. Instead of staying in the United Kingdom, Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) and his family travel into the damp and dangerous jungles of Peru. Though audiences return to Paddington’s home country, Paddington in Peru is still charming, clever, and exciting enough to live up to everyone’s expectations.
Paddington in Peru sees the kind-hearted bear returning to Peru after discovering his aunt Lucy has gone missing. Along with the Brown family, who raised him throughout the previous Paddington films, Paddington must find Aunt Lucy and rescue her. However, they slowly discover a mystery connected to a legendary myth that might change everything.
While Paddington in Peru may be full of hijinks, it may not seem like that from its opening moments. In fact, the film’s opening sequence is dramatic as perhaps the first film, giving audiences a taste of the incidental peril Paddington went through. It’s still able to retain that lightheartedness through the blossoming bond we see between Paddington and Aunt Lucy. The fact that director Dougal Wilson is able to balance these changes in tone is astounding, which seems to be a given for the series.
These shifts are heavily present throughout the film, but the events that cause them are written with the right amount of humor. It never takes itself too seriously, which works for particular moments between both Paddington and the Brown family. This is because Paddington and the family get split, which puts them in their own respective wild predicaments. Each paralleling storyline contains its own sense of comedy, but it’s very obvious that Paddington’s “happy accidents” brings a lot of energy to the film.
However, on the dramatic side of things, it also seems to have somewhat of a minor horror element to it. This is heavily connected to Paddington, which is established through these mysterious totems he occasionally comes across. Fortunately, it never goes into being as scary as some films have done previously. While this can be a bit of a shock to some, it just adds enough eeriness to keep audiences hooked into the mystery.
Nonetheless, Paddington is still his friendly, curious self even when he’s separated from the Browns. He incidentally gets paired up with treasure hunter-turned-father Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas), leading to some really funny moments. Banderas is perfectly charismatic as Hunter, who’s got a two-faced personality thanks to some “supernatural” family curse. As such, this makes for a couple of fun visual jokes between him and Paddington as he deals with some inner demons.
As for each respective member of the Brown family, they contribute in their own unique ways. Both Henry (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary (Emily Mortimer) easily stand out, with their motivations heavily driving their plot forward. They’re somewhat stuck in their old ways, but the way that the film develops Henry and Mary is intentionally gradual. However, Judy (Madeleine Harris) and Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) don’t have as much of a role to play until the third act. As such, they feel like they’re relegated to the sidelines, save for a few interactions they have with their parents.
Surprisingly, Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters) gets her own storyline as well with the Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman). The scenes these two share together are incredibly funny thanks to Colman’s somewhat unhinged performance. The Reverend Mother is much more explicit in being as blatantly suspicious as possible, but her reason for this makes it understandable. Still, Walters and Colman make a hilarious comedy duo together as Mrs. Bird and the Reverend Mother butt heads early on.
The overall story of Paddington in Peru may initially be somewhat predictable. However, as the film treads on, it throws some twists that some might not expect. It sets up a couple of callbacks throughout the first two acts, making you think about the outcome already. While some of these callbacks and jokes do play out as you might’ve thought, some actually play out differently. Due to this, it may feel somewhat confusing as some try to wrap their heads around this, but its intention makes for a good surprise.
Paddington in Peru is a delightful and impressive three-quel that proudly proves why Michael Bond’s iconic bear can go anywhere even with a new creative lead. It’s still got the heart, soul, and wholesomeness of the original films that made this film series truly special. Should this be the final send-off for the Paddington movies, it’s been a joy to see this wonderful character and his world hit the silver screen.
Rating
★★★★
Paddington in Peru premieres in theaters Friday, February 14.
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.
Paddington in Peru Review
Paddington in Peru Review