Hilarious and heartfelt, ‘Paddington in Peru’ is a delightful family adventure

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Return to your roots.

Synopsis

In Paddington in Peru, Paddington Bear (Ben Whishaw) has received a rather distressing letter: his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) seems to not be doing well and misses him greatly. Paddington and the rest of the Brown family travel to his homeland of Peru to visit Aunt Lucy at her retirement home but learn from nun Reverand Mother (Olivia Colman) that she’s gone missing!

Paddington and the Brown’s team up with treasure hunters Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) and his daughter Gina (Carla Tous) to trek across the dangerous Peruvian jungle and find Aunt Lucy. Hunter has ulterior motives, though, believing Paddington holds the key to finding the fabled city of El Dorado.

My thoughts

The Paddington movies are simply delightful. I must admit that I’m a new convert to the Church of Paddington, having recently watched the first two movies to prepare for this new third installment. I’m a Yankee boy, so I didn’t grow up with the character and wasn’t even aware of who he was until the first movie came out 11 years ago. It doesn’t take long into watching the movies to realize why the character became such an icon in the UK.

Paddington is just such a pleasant character. One of the few who’s so endearing that you can look past his mischievous nature and see how kindhearted he is. His positivity is infectious, so much so that all the characters around him, even us audience members, become more positive as a result. They’re movies that feel like bedtime stories come to life, giving you a warm hug right before you lull off to sleep.

Back to the jungle

Paddington in Peru takes Paddington out of his British element and into the treacherous jungles of, as the title says, Peru. I guess being out of his element isn’t technically correct, as Paddington is originally from Peru, but over the course of the films, he’s become undoubtedly British, with a passport and all. “You can take the bear out of the jungle, but not the jungle out of the bear,” Paddington says, which turns out to be easier said than done.

With the new setting comes new stakes, therefore new adventurous set pieces. Where the first two films are just straightforward British comedies, this one is more action packed and filled with excitement. Clearly inspired by Indiana Jones and the works of Werner Herzog, there are scenes featuring ancient ruins complete with a giant rolling boulder and a boat encountering some rocky river waters.

These action scenes are quite a bit of fun, especially since director Dougal Wilson and the team of screenwriters put a lot of thought into making these set pieces not just action packed, but also comedic. The slapstick bits in the Paddington films are exceedingly well crafted, so it was welcome to have them here and also so well implemented into the action scenes.

Because of this different, more intense type of movie, the plot does end up getting a bit overstuffed, especially in the last act. The first two Paddington films are beautiful in their simplicity, without the need for grand plot twists or epic stakes to achieve maximum emotional impact at the end. These moments do make Paddington in Peru feel a bit more like your typical Hollywood blockbuster compared to the more British prior outings.

That doesn’t mean that Paddington in Peru isn’t still quintessentially Paddington, still hilariously charming as ever. The signature dry, British wit remains intact with the cheeky dialogue and silly sight gags. The laughs are frequent and even better, don’t undercut any of the dramatic moments. Just like the first two, I dare you not to cry at the end and not be eager for more adventures with Paddington and the Brown’s.

A mix of old and new

Paul King, director of the first two films, didn’t return to the director’s chair here, opting to instead direct Wonka with Timotheé Chalamet. Dougal Wilson makes his directorial debut and while he does a perfectly fine job, Paul King’s delicate touch is missed. It’s all still charming and whimsical, but unfortunately quite flat and uninspired, lacking that Wes Anderson meets Monty Python style King brought to the table the last two times.

The casting is one of the things that make these Paddington movies really work, with wonderful actors who really seem to enjoy doing these movies. Since Paddington has been such a cultural icon in the UK, I imagine doing these movies is a lot of fun for these actors who most likely grew up with these stories. They may be acting against nothing on set, but they treat it all with reverence as if Paddington is actually there in front of them.

Even if it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense having the entire Brown family go on this crazy adventure with Paddington, it wouldn’t be a Paddington movie without them. Their familial bond with Paddington is the heart and soul of this series, so having them so lovingly accompany him across the world just to reunite with his aunt is very sweet. As Paddington fans would expect, each family members gets their own little character arc and purpose for the story.

I didn’t quite warm up to Emily Mortimer, who replaced the lovely Sally Hawkins as Mrs. Brown, but Hugh Bonneville thankfully returned as Mr. Brown. He’s always been my favorite of the Brown family, with Bonneville turning in a hysterical and touching performance every time. The Brown children kind of feel like an afterthought on this quest, but having them there added to that quaint storybook feel. No matter where Paddington goes, his family will be there to back him up.

Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas are two of the prominent new stars joining the cast, both of them having a blast and hamming it up in their own ways. Olivia Colman as a singing nun is perfect casting and nails her ridiculously silly opening musical number with gusto. Antonio Banderas fills the role of a serious actor playing a kooky villain, similar to Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant in the previous movies. He’s a joy to watch, relishing in being the bad guy in a funny little movie about an animated bear.

Ben Whishaw’s voice performance never gets old and the CGI animation for Paddington is better than ever, somehow making him even more adorable and endearing. Paddington has much more to juggle character wise than before with his most personal and emotional conflict yet. The nature of these events test his maturity and force him to come to terms with himself as both a bear and “person”, where Whishaw brings his signature gravitas to the role.

Final verdict

If you’re a fan of Paddington, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy Paddington in Peru. The overstuffed script and lack of Paul King behind the camera does prevent it from reaching the lofty heights of the first two, but the spirit is still there. Rich with hilarious moments, charming characters, and heartfelt emotion, you get the feel-good Paddington vibes you expect. I guess the little guy just has this ineffable ability to make his way to your heart and give it a big warm hug that you can’t resist.