close
close
awsum

Paddington in Peru review: Triple gold for our favorite bear

Neon
Paddington in Peru review: Triple gold for our favorite bear

Even though it’s been a decade since the original film, Paddington hasn’t aged a day; So is the concept. Bringing the tried and tested formula to South America, Paddington in Peru once again delivering fur-filled glamor.

When it comes to taking your kids to see new moviesThe Paddington franchise is one you probably wouldn’t mind sitting down to. Even if you’re almost 60 and have kids for 30, you’ll probably still want to take a family trip to see it (yes, I’ll take you, mom). There are two reasons for this: Paddington has a rich heritage of its own and director Paul King has brought a special format to the big screen.

Everyone is living out their best British fantasy in these films, which quietly deliver the right kind of charm in a quirky cliché, and that’s still true for Paddington in Peru. Of course not quite a few It’s as magical as Paddington 2, and it certainly has its faults, but you can’t help but be charmed by a bear with the best eloquence you’ve ever seen.

There’s an interesting subtext this time. Olivia Colman cavorting around like a dastardly singing nun can only distract you so much from Paddington’s course correction towards its deliberate take on British politics. In a Western world where immigration is at the forefront, the grizzly bear makes us think that things are simpler than they seem, and maybe we need that.

What is Paddington 3 about?

In the third episode, Paddington (Ben Whishaw) still loves his London life but receives a worrying letter from his hometown. Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) lives at the Retirement Bears Home near the Amazon, and the Mother Superior (Olivia Colman) asks Paddington to visit her after she exhibits depression-like behavior.

The Brown family accepts this and they embark on a journey of a lifetime; But when they get there, Aunt Lucy is nowhere to be seen. From there, animated movie It becomes a race against time to find Aunt Lucy in the middle of the forest, where she is met by mysterious boat captain Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) along the way.

Old-school English whimsy still wins

Paddington and Aunt Lucy in Peru PaddingtonStudio Channel

Let’s call a spade a spade: Paddington Bear is the epitome of British charm. If you don’t live in the UK and perhaps have never visited, the ‘Tea and Toast’ approach to the Big Smoke is probably what you’d expect to find the moment you land at Heathrow. There are no bikers eating on the street or overpriced lattes in this fantasy, and King keeps it alive without fail.

The combination of environmental and friendly appeal is why we gleefully go along with everything our favorite grizzly bear does, from accidentally sinking a boat to smashing things that don’t belong to him. Paddington in Peru shows our main character with his strongest sense of self yet, but also the furthest from his past and heritage we’ve ever seen him.

Send beautiful and necessary messages about the importance of home and family, as well as the flexibility of what these can mean. I’d like to hope this offers some level of ‘look’ to real-life immigrants, but the cynic in me is convinced that the underwhelming British twee in me is moving away from Paddington 3 and closer to this.

But we’re not here for socio-political think pieces, are we? NO! We’re here for cute bears and unconsciously funny families doing heartwarming things! It’s something we encounter in bucketloads, centering on the more adult Browns figuring out how to get their act together as four adults. The feeling I described earlier about elderly parents and children watching this was exactly what King wanted to achieve, and he achieved it.

Paddington in Paddington 3Studio Channel

It’s absolutely outrageous that Paddington continues to be this fascinating, and the only option we have is to be completely immersed in it and come out the other side absolutely loving it. You don’t even care when you notice the dazzling plot or the ending that becomes too soap opera-y for its own good. Paddington in Peru is actually a shot of Calpol before going to sleep. HE soothing for the soul.

While there certainly isn’t enough Julie Walters for my taste, Emily Mortimer fits the role of Mrs. Brown so well that you forget that Sally Hawkins is even being oddly recast. Our adult children provide solid support as Bonneville continues to be Bonneville at its best. Olivia Colman is clearly doing what she does; a flamboyant, slightly suspicious nun with an overly animated face and impeccable comedic timing. It’s an obvious conclusion that has to happen in this franchise at some point.

For my ’90s baby brothers and sisters, seeing Antonio Banderas on the big screen in human form in a family-friendly movie is an especially heartwarming moment. He’s been crushing on Puss in Boots for a long time, but we haven’t seen him as himself in a kids’ movie since Spy Kids 3-D. There’s no microwave here that will magically turn cardboard into McDonald’s, but it returns to a familiarity that enhances the comedic value.

There is an interesting subtext for adults

Olivia Colman and the singing nuns in Paddington 3Studio Channel

Forget the kids and our aging parents… there’s something else in store for the rest of us during Paddington in Peru. Even before we knew anything about the movie other than the change of country, there was one looming question: How did Paddington manage to get a passport?

The third episode slyly rewrites the media fabric of how we view immigration, with a big help from the magic of Disney. Paddington’s passport arrives in the mail with no questions asked, contains an absolutely unusable portrait photo, and gets him to Peru within 30 minutes. It’s a miracle only our sweet bear can pull off, and no one really cares about the logistics.

But I understand, dear reader. I noticed. I’m going to coin this ‘Bearwashing’ scenario – one that could be incredibly variable in the real world, but we’re now convinced it’s simple, pleasant and okay without any social baggage. This can be interpreted in two ways. A) London is a wonderfully inclusive place, with the most wonderfully diverse population you’ve ever seen, or B) London is trying to make you forget about its problems bubbling beneath the surface.

Whatever your personal view on King’s approach, it’s often fascinating to note the timing of it all. Children’s movies have previously featured larger themes than their default appearances, but this time it seems incredibly obvious. For decades we have been asking whether we can separate the art from the artist, but now we will be asked whether we can separate the bear from its identity (interestingly, the opposite of what actually happens).

Maybe we need hope that in reality everything can be this beautiful and easy. Maybe we need to remind ourselves that people should be able to come and go freely and that others should be kind to each other. Maybe when we don’t listen to people tell us that, the only sound that can get the message across is a moving bear.

Paddington in Peru review score: 4/5

Yes, an animated movie can be amazing and full of mistakes at the same time, and Paddington in Peru is one of the best examples of this. You may have started watching thinking about logistics and supporting implications, but by the end your brain is blank on everything but the Browns — and that’s an incredibly rare feat.

If you’re going to subject yourself to twee, this is the series to choose. Even if you disagree with Threequel’s main points, King’s trilogy is well-crafted for all ages, and that’s reason enough to part with your hard-earned cash. Definitely not better than Paddington 2, sorry.

Paddington in Peru will be released in UK cinemas on 8 November and in US cinemas on 17 January 2025. For more information, check out: best anime live action adaptations and the latest on upcoming movies Snow White remake And live action How to Train Your Dragon.

You can also catch new movie streaming this month and best movies of the year so far.

Related Posts