In the way of full disclosure, I was a huge fan of “Paddington” (2014) and “Paddington 2” (2017). Both were near-perfect movies in terms of writing and cinematic execution. The original was so good that I worried the sequel could only fall short. It didn’t. The same cast and crew returned and the creative lightning struck twice.
I was delighted when I heard that a third installment was in the works, but concerned that there would be a new director and a new, major cast member. Paul King, the director of the first two movies was being replaced by newcomer Dougal Wilson, making his directorial debut. That in itself was cause for alarm since much of the magic and charm of the first two Paddington movies was due to the creative vision and imagination of the director.
The other change was in the casting of Paddington’s adoptive mom, played by Sally Hawkins in the first two films. For some unknown reason she was being replaced ty Emily Mortimer in “Paddington in Peru.” Mortimer was a talented, veteran actress who seemed like an excellent choice. To some degree, she seemed like an even better choice to play Mary Brown, considering the warmth and sweetness she could bring to the role.
The jury is finally in, and I’m happy to report that “Paddington in Peru” is the movie that fans were hoping for. While it had received some mixed early reviews, the worst you can say is that it possibly lacks some of the zaniness of the first two movies. Unlike “Paddington 2,” for instace, our main character does not end up in the slammer with a bunch of hardened criminals hatching a hilariously crazy escape plan.
Instead, “Paddington in Peru,“ as the title suggests, is about a Peruvian adventure involving Paddington the bear’s search for his beloved Aunt Lucy who has mysteriously disappeared from a jungle home for aged bears (run by a group of nuns, whose Reverend Mother is delightfully played by Olivia Colman). It’s a family adventure with Paddington’s father, mother, brother and sister in tow. Paddington’s voice, once again is supplied by Ben Whishaw (who has played Q in the Daniel Craig 007 movies).
The preview clips show Paddington attempting to take his passport photo in a coin operated photo booth.
It’s slapstick comedy à la Mr. Bean. Soon, he and his family are procuring a boat in the Peruvian jungle operated by a fast-talking captain (Antonio Banderas) and his teenage daughter. Unbeknownst to the Browns, the captain is the descendant of a mad Spanish conquistador and a succession of treasure-seeking ancestors (all played by Banderas). It’s a great gag. Banderas makes the most of it, even portraying the painting-come-to-life, Harry Potter-style portrait of the original, armored Spanish treasure hunter.
There are many movie references in “Paddington in Peru,” ranging from Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” (2021) to The Sound of Music’s “The Hills are Alive” parody, to the Indiana Jones treasure maps and giant rolling bolder that is unleashed inside a mysterious ancient temple. You could argue that Paddington’s newly acquired travel umbrella is a nod to Mary Poppins. It doesn’t enable him to fly, but it does handily function as a parachute and raging river raft, as well as a make-shift Kingman-style weapon. Movie references abound.
In the tradition of some of the great adventure movies, “Paddington in Peru” eventually becomes a search for El Dorado. As you might suspect from this clever movie series, El Dorado turns out to be something much different than what you might expect. No spoilers.
All in all, the movie is an entertaining family adventure, beautifully rendered in rich, colorful detail. The mix of digital animation (Paddington) and live action (all the other characters) is remarkable. It all seems real.
Story-wise, it’s a warm tale of family values and family support that becomes tearful at the end. Each of the Paddington movies has the lump-in-the-throat, final-reel moment that sets this series above other movies like it. In that regard, the series is in a class of its own.
Paddington is loveable, likeable character that, in some ways is as pure and timeless as Charlie Chaplin’s Tramp, with some life lessons for us all. In this case, it’s two things: always keep a smile on your furry, little face and a nice marmalade sandwich under your hat.
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