Review: Paddington in Peru
Never hits the highs of ‘Paddington 2,’ but still better than most kids’ movies.
In an age of shrill family movies, the Paddington films stand out for their gentle humor, visual whimsy and almost revolutionary message of kindness. They’re the rare movies that could make the world a better place, and their sentiments feel earnest rather than forced.
If Paddington in Peru is a slight step down after the heights of Paddington 2 – one of the most delightful films of the last 10 years – it’s still better than 95% of most family entertainment. Even though it’s traded directors and one cast member, it maintains the series’ charm and humor, adds a dose of adventure, and reminds us all of the power of a hard stare.
The film finds Paddington Bear still living with the Brown family in London. And while their neighbors are still friendly and the Brown home still cozy, the family has found themselves a bit adrift as the children have gotten older. A letter from Paddington’s Aunt Lucy provides an excuse to head to Peru for some family bonding, but when they arrive at the Retirement Home for Old Bears, they find Aunt Lucy missing. Their only hope seems to lie in a riverboat captain who might have ulterior motives for trekking into the jungle.
Venturing south is a departure for a series so known for its Britishness. But in trading the cozy flats of London for the jungles of South America, director Dougal Wilson finds new ways to keep the franchise fresh. The movie’s style calls to mind Wes Anderson with its storybook aesthetic and intricate, whimsical settings, and the lush rain forests and raging waterfalls provide a colorful change of scenery. The comic set pieces – such as Paddington trying to sleep in a hammock or navigate a ship down the Amazon while tied up – move with fun physicality, never devolving into loud nothingness but building with an ingenuity pulled from silent comedy in places. The climax, in which Paddington is chased through crumbling Incan ruins, mixes a dash of Indiana Jones with Buster Keaton, and it’s a delight.
The cast continues to be dialed in. Ben Wishaw’s gentle, mannerly voice is the perfect fit for Paddington, and Hugh Bonneville is a lot of fun as the risk-averse Mr. Brown finds an opportunity to prove his courage and impress his bosses back at the insurance firm; you know exactly where his fear of spiders will take him, but the payoff still works. Emily Mortimer steps in for Sally Hawkins as Mrs. Brown, and while I miss Hawkins’ sunny charm, Mortimer’s warmth goes a long way. Julie Walters continues to have the time of her life as no-nonsense Ms. Bird, the family’s caretaker, who finds her own intrigue working alongside the nuns at the Retirement Home for Old Bears.
And, of course, what would a Paddington movie be without some big stars as the villains or in other roles? Antonio Banderas can’t quite hit Hugh Grant’s heights as the scheming riverboat captain, but he’s reliably funny parodying his own suavity and machismo. And Olivia Colman’s performance as a nun with her own secrets is easily the film’s highlight; you might not know how much you need to see Colman leading a bunch of nuns in songs or intone – with a smile – that “the lord works in suspicious ways,” but she’s a hoot throughout.
This third film feels a bit more plot heavy in places, and there are a few stretches where the pacing sputters. And on the surface, this film’s themes of family and togetherness feel a bit cliche and pat, particularly after the first Paddington was a family comedy about accepting the refugee and the second weaponized kindness. But having spent three films with these characters, it’s moving to see the Brown family find something to get them all sitting on the same couch again. And the film’s lessons about the ends of ill-gotten gain – and a clever thread about how greed infects not just people but institutions – are evergreen, but have more urgency these days.
In the end, Paddington in Peru might not hit the heights of its predecessors, but it’s still a very funny, warm and sweet addition to the family movie pantheon. It continues to celebrate the power of kindness and family, and it does so without feeling cloying. It’s as cuddly as its titular bear, and as sweet as a marmalade sandwich. I’m happy these movies exist.