Many consider Paddington 2 one of the greatest family movies ever made. It is a dazzling mix of slapstick comedy, unexpected star turns, and a big heart filling the cinema with pure joy. A third adventure from the Bear was always going to be a hard act to follow, especially when the main drivers of the series, Paul King and Simon Farnaby, had turned their attention to Wonka, keeping them away from this apart from producing the story. With a new director on board, we get Paddington in Peru. The charm and the fantastic characterisation of the creature fall short of the previous movies, mainly for a plot device that has been used before that shows a little desperation.

Paddington has been getting letters from his Aunt Lucy, who lives in a retirement home for bears in Peru. Until he gets one from the Reverent Mother running the venue, saying she is acting strangely and is obviously missing her young charge. Paddington and the Brown family head out to the country, where they discover that Aunt Lucy has disappeared. Desperate to find her, the Browns head into the Amazon’s jungles with a boat captain’s help, although the search could lead them to the legendary lost city of El Dorado.

Having never directed a feature before, Douglas Wilson does an excellent job behind the camera, pulling together the various story strands and moments of humour scattered throughout the film. There are plenty of times when that loveable yet clumsy creation by Michael Bond finds himself in trouble, sometimes by his own making, others by the making of others, yet the film stars are responsible for making Paddington come to life. It still amazes me how they can produce so much emotion in the eyes of a computer-generated animal. It is one of the reasons that these films have won the hearts of everyone who watches them.

The issues with this film are many. Firstly, it lacks the comedy that filled the previous films. There are moments when Paddington finds himself wrapped up in a ship’s steering wheel or battling a photo booth, but they are few and far between and, sadly, not half as inventive or funny. Remember the window cleaning scene from number 2, which is standard slapstick fare, yet its levels took it to another dimension. This time, the comedy comes from different angles that may pass over younger viewers.

There are plenty of gags that cinephiles will cherish. None more so than the entrance of Hunter Cabot, on board his ship with a gramophone playing Opera al la Fitzcarrado. There are also references to Indiana Jones and even Buster Keaton, but all of this might be lost on viewers unfamiliar with these past triumphs. The filmmakers focus on the adventure as Paddington and the Browns head down the Amazon to search for Aunt Lucy and El Dorado.

The other aspect that fails to deliver is taking Paddington and the Browns out of their environment and putting them on holiday. A tradition from back in the 70s when TV spin-off movies had popular sit-coms that were usually in one setting and putting the characters abroad (see Holiday On The Buses for the worst of these). The film then becomes unfocused, making it more of a travelogue than concentrating on the characters we have grown to like. Peru looks lovely, and London does, too, in these films. If there is a fourth, which I’m sure there will be, then return the Browns to their home and keep them there.

The film isn’t a total disaster. It still has charm, and you cannot help but enjoy the journey the Browns go on. However, it fails to give the same emotional punch as the second film. By the end of that film, after nearly two hours of laughs, you are wiping the tears away. I wanted to have that feeling again, but it never came. The film deals with the importance of family and where your home is, but that doesn’t start the tears rolling.

As expected, the cast is in great form, with Hugh Bonneville returning as Mr Brown but no Sally Hawkins this time. Instead, Emily Mortimer does an excellent job as Mrs Brown. Ben Whishaw has almost become Paddington, so you cannot hear him speak outside the character without hearing that loveable bear. Joining the team this time is Antonio Banderas as Hunter, who may or may not be the villain and seems to be having a blast playing the captain of the boat while also playing his ancestors, who keep popping up. Coming in as almost the film stealer is Olivia Colman’s Reverent Mother. She is consistently funny throughout, and the musical number, which touches on The Sound of Music, is one of the film’s high points.

Paddington in Peru is still an entertaining family film with plenty of heart and will leave you with a smile on your face. It is the weakest of the three, and if they are to return, they need to up the game again. Stick around after the credits for some extra scenes that remind you just how good the previous film was. I am sure, however, that it will be a winner at the box office, and quite frankly, with the world as it is, we need a little bear in our lives.

3 out of 5

Director: Douglas Wilson

Starring: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Carla Tous, Jim Broadbent

Written by: Jon Foster, James Lamont, (also story) Mark Burton, (story) Paul King, Simon Farnaby and (based on the characters created) Michael Bond

Running Time: 106 mins

Cert: PG

Release date: 8th November 2024