Both Paddington and Paddington 2 are exceptional movies and are wonderful iterations of the beloved character that captured people’s hearts for several generations. So, it is no surprise that the latest cinematic installment falls short. That said, the new film is still delightful in its own way and is an enjoyable piece of family cinema despite its weaknesses.
After living happily with the Brown family, Paddington (Ben Wishaw) unexpectedly gets contacted by someone in Peru who has become close to his beloved Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton). Lucy, who is now much older, has moved into a retirement home for bears in Peru, but has, unfortunately, gone missing. Paddington and the Brown family decide to travel there to, hopefully, search for her and bring her back to safety. The family initially goes to the retirement home where the head of the Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman) suggests that she wandered into the jungle.
The family charters a boat from Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) and his daughter Gina (Carla Tous), who are willing to help them find Lucy. However, it becomes apparent that something is off with Hunter, who has a secret agenda of discovering a lost city of El Dorado that promises wealth beyond comprehension to anyone who can find it.
Written by Paul King, Simon Farnaby, Mark Burton, Jon Foster, and James Lamont, and directed by Dougal Wilson, Paddington in Peru is sweet, adorable, and enjoyable but lacks the inventiveness and exciting moments the first two movies accomplished. In addition, the film suffers from a middle act that stalls at times, and a specific comedic gag that gets overplayed. Still, I enjoyed this different adventure for Paddington and the Browns, and loved that all of the actors put their hearts into their respective roles.
All of the returning cast members play their roles solidly, with, of course, Ben Wishaw perfectly voicing the character of Paddington. Both Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas deliver fun and hilarious performances as the Reverend Mother and Hunter Cabot. Colman is particularly amusing, as there is much more to meets the eye with her fun character. Banderas has wonderful energy in his performance and brings much fun to his role as Cabot.
Paddington in Peru is now in theaters and should provide families with a good time at the cinema. I wouldn’t spend the money to pay for full-price tickets, but the movie is good enough for an enjoyable matinee on a weekend afternoon.