You know you have a great franchise when this charming sequel is as bad as it gets

A few months before it hits US theaters, Paddington in Peru is now in UK cinemas, bringing a piece of irresistible British charm to the silver screen. This time, Ben Whishaw’s marmalade-loving Peruvian bear – as well as his adoptive family, the Browns, led by Hugh Bonneville’s patriarch – are thrown into a South American adventure when Aunt Lucy mysteriously disappears.

For me, Paddington2 It was a 5-star movie, so how do you follow perfection? You go abroad and add Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas. The new Paddington trio flips the script on the dynamics of the first two films: Paddington is no longer the fish out of water, it’s the Browns who are – sent as they are, to the “deepest, darkest Peru”. New cast members join, old faces return, but there’s the same slapstick humor, endearing performances, and heart as always.

A curious thing has happened since Paddington2 got a near-perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes 7 years ago: cynical, joyless people crawled out of their miserable holes to try and get cops out of them. This is not a sport anyone should sanction and it is a good barometer of the quality of someone’s character. And most people will come in Paddington in Peru waiting for more of the same magic. Since this is a family film, there’s only one place to start…

My 7-Year-Old Son’s Thoughts on Paddington, Peru

When in doubt, go to the main target audience

In the interest of serving the correct audience, I consulted Paddington in PeruMain target audience demographic: My 7-year-old son, for his opinion on things. His suitability goes beyond age, of course: like Paddington, he also has problems with impulse control, deeply flawed decision-making skills, and a habit of hiding snacks.

By way of disclaimer here: this is a child who has watched more hours of Bathroom Skibidi than any potential adult who has seen this in the theater in their lifetime. So adjust your expectations. Here are his unfiltered thoughts as he wrote them:

It was incredible.

I liked it when Paddington got the new passport and the new umbrella. That song about Paddington coming to the retired bears show was my favorite part too.

I thought Paddington swinging in the net was funny.

Yes, you should see it! It’s amazing, funny and cool. The spider was the funniest part.

I didn’t like it when the nun had a [REDACTED FOR YOUR SAKE]

Paddington was easily my favorite character.

If you have a 7-year-old son, you know how difficult it was to get that out of him. His initial review was a facetious “positively amazing” with a thumbs up. Some people will never know the sacrifices made in the name of criticism.

Paddington, Peru, is not as good as its predecessor

Then again, it’s hard to match perfection

Paddington2 is one of the most charming films of all time, let alone the family film segment. It has an enviable score on Rotten Tomatoes (99%), has one of Hugh Grant’s most memorable performances and pots and pots of charm. This also means that he has set Paddington in Peru with an extremely difficult perspective: any success would have difficulty leaving its shadow.

Even though we know how unfair the desire to compare is, this is one of the main issues to be addressed. It’s not as funny or charming as the second film, the villains aren’t as strong as Nicole Kidman or Grant (but then again, those are pretty high barriers), and the move from London loses some of the quaint magic. None of these problems are particularly fatal: The biggest problem is probably that the Brown children are marginalized by history (until they have brief moments to shine). But this actually feels like a conscious choice in service of the larger story.

There’s less slapstick humor, because Paddington not living in a house in London naturally leads to less polite carnage, and he’s on a serious mission rather than floundering around letting his curiosity get the better of him. I wish there was a little more of that in Paddington in Peru.

What Paddington in Peru does really well

The story is actually more complex than the shenanigans of the first two Paddington films: it takes a while for the pieces of the story to come together, but the twists at the end are worth waiting for. And for the second time in 2024 – after The Wild Robot – there’s a surprisingly effective commentary on parents facing the reality of their children flying the nest. This story revolves around Emily Mortimer (who replaces Sally Hawkins as Mary Brown), who convincingly sells the anxiety of midlife loneliness through independence.

Paddington in Peru reconciles this story, which bubbles beneath the surface, with Mr. Brown’s own anxiety – more professional than personal – as a change in management causes Hayley Atwell to become a risk-loving risk assessment professional. It’s a slightly flimsy setup for later jokes that make it worthwhile, but Atwell’s part feels oddly undercooked. THE most of the story is the adventure to Peru to find Aunt Lucy, which cleverly becomes something completely different and explains Paddington’s taste for marmalade in a delicious way.

The film takes the opportunity to delve further into Paddington’s past, in a pleasantly meta acknowledgment that we’re already nostalgic for the character after just two films. That’s why the trip to Peru really works, even when I spent part of the opening internally screaming about the decision to move away from this curiously idealized image of London. The writing navigates this well, and while the charm is a little less dazzling, the world-building is a strong enough compensation.

Paddington, Peru, expands the cast with good new additions

Let’s be honest, Olivia Colman is never unwanted

Both Antonio Banderas (as riverboat captain Hunter Cabot – the name doesn’t really suit him) and Olivia Colman (The Reverend Mother) add star quality to the cast. The trailers have inexcusably spoiled something important about Banderas’ character, though it’s not particularly ruinous: his performance is as smooth as Roger Moore and as chaotic as Roger Rabbit when his true colors are revealed. And Banderas clearly had fun, especially when given the opportunity to suit up for a memorable but short scene.

Speaking of fun, Colman employs all her easy, wholesome charm as The Reverend Mother, offering a very funny (literal) version of a famous music sound scene and an endearing strangeness that makes more sense as things progress. Congratulations to her for the musical sequence that opens the film and for having the courage to make fun of herself. Again, it’s very funny.

Emily Mortimer does a great job replacing Sally Hawkins as the Brown matriarchas already mentioned, and Carla Tous plays Cabot’s previously estranged daughter, Gina, who struggles with her father’s obsession with the Lost City of El Dorado. The best part of the cast is the cameo that appears in both the mid-credits and post-credits scenes.

Completing the Paddington in Peru cast, practically all of the supporting actors from the previous films (except Peter Capaldi) return for the first set-up scenes, including names like Jim Broadbent, Ben Miller and Joel Fry. They’re nothing more than visitors, really, but it’s good that they got the gang back together.

Final thoughts on Paddington in Peru

It’s not perfect, but it’s still a very good family film

Paddington in Peru It could have been much more straightforward and still appeal to audiences, such is the appeal of Ben Whishaw’s charming teddy bear. But credit where it’s due, the threequel doesn’t sacrifice creative merit in the name of financial exploitation. There are two animated sequences rendered in the style of oil paintings that are truly beautiful things, and much of the framing is coded by Wes Anderson.

However, Paddington in Peru It’s a fun, pleasantly charming family experience that’s probably more consciously aimed at younger audiences, but they’re the kingmakers when it comes to big box office wins. And I’m so happy to be able to enjoy a family film with broad enough appeal that my son could consider it, without irony, a good time. No boringly asking when the end was coming, no fake trips to the bathroom, no distracted foot tapping. They’re all worth an extra star, even if it’s not as good as its predecessor.

Honestly, it’s a shame Paddington in Peru was not released in the US in time for Christmas, due to family appeal. It’s got some good old-fashioned magic, sometimes it tugs at the heartstrings, and sometimes it’s really funny.

Paddington in Peru is in UK cinemas now and comes to the US on January 17, 2025