The two previous Paddington movies are pure confectionary perfection, bringing everyone’s favorite marmalade-obsessed bear to simple, joyful comedic heights. They are family friendly entertainment that anyone can enjoy and, genuinely, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t. The third movie, Paddington in Peru, is also comforting and funny, but with its swashbuckling South American adventure plot it loses some of the homespun charm and heart that have been this franchise’s true treasure.
The story finds Paddington (voiced again by Ben Whishaw) lured back to the place of his birth to be reunited with his dear old Aunt (Imelda Staunton) at the Home for Retired Bears, a place run by singing nuns, including the guitar-strumming Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman). But when he and the Brown family (Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Julie Walters) get there, Paddington is informed that she’s gone missing into the Amazon jungle. She had been acting sad and alarmed by something mysterious, perhaps lonely for the titular cub who has been living it up in London for so long?
What follows is a pleasurable, mildly exciting trek through the wilderness with raging waterfalls, dangerous jungle creatures, and a shady riverboat captain, Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas), obsessed with finding El Dorado, the long-lost City of Gold. It turns out his path directly intersects with Paddington’s quest, but is the promise of riches more precious than family?
Bigger isn’t always better, in this case. I don’t think anyone was clamoring for the death-defying adventures of Paddington Bear, surviving crashing airplanes and exploring mysterious cities of legend. It all feels a bit out of Paddington’s depth, and the jokes suffer as a result. But there is still a lot to like. Paddington’s connection to the Brown family is as wonderful as ever. While each member is facing their own individual struggles, they set them aside to help Paddington. Banderas doesn’t have a prayer of matching the villainous peak of Hugh Grant’s arrogant actor Phoenix Buchanan from Paddington 2, but he’s still pretty funny when dressed up as Cabot ancestors, all perished due to their pursuit of El Dorado. Colman is having the best time in a truly bizarre role that has her rocking out with nuns and CGI bears alike.
With Paul King and co-writer Simon Farnaby gone except for a story credit, Paddington in Peru is put in the hands of first-time director Dougal Wilson and a trio of incoming writers. They’re solid, but the difference is noticeable. If there are more Paddington sequels, keeping him closer to home would be the smart move.
Paddington in Peru opens in theaters on February 14th.
