Hey everybody and welcome to a brand new movie review! This time, I will be taking a look at the third installment of a series centered on one of the most iconic bears in media, Paddington. Ever since his first appearance in 1958, the marmalade loving individual has gone on to bring much joy to many whether it is in the form of books, shows, and of course, the movies. The films in particular seem to have given the character a new life, as both previous films were extremely well received (to the surprise of many) with the second installment in particular, being considered a modern classic by many (justifiably so). I myself, am a huge fan and I consider them the gold standard of adapting recognizable children’s characters into live action/CGI hybrids. So naturally, I was indeed looking forward in seeing another installment, even with director Paul King not coming back at the helm (though he was involved in the story). Was it able to capture the same magic of the previous two? Let’s jump right in and see what this journey into the Amazon had to offer!
After a brief prologue showing how a young Paddington ended up getting lost and raised by his Aunt Lucy, we cut to Windsor Gardens where him and the Browns continue to live their lives, albeit with the family growing a bit more detached from one another than before. Things change though, when Paddington gets a letter from the home of Retired Bears in Peru that Aunt Lucy has been acting strange lately and misses him deeply, leading to an impromptu trip to Peru with the Browns along for the ride as well. When they arrive, the Reverend Mother informs them that she gone missing. Determined to find her, Paddington and the Browns go on a journey, along with a boat captain named Hunter Cabot and his daughter, Gina, in order to solve the mystery.
With King not in the director’s chair, this is the feature length debut of music video/commercial director, Dougal Wilson, and I’m happy to say he succeeds in following King’s footsteps. He and the writers manage to capture the charm and whimsy that made the previous two films such delights. The comedy is very on point with the slapstick very enjoyable and making good use of objects seen in everyday situation and the jokes being very funny with the way certain things are portrayed in an exaggerated manner and are never too in your face. Wilson is also successful in implementing that charm into an adventure themed story where we see the characters go on a journey that wouldn’t be too out of place in an Indiana Jones movie. Some may say that it more of a conventional narrative compare to the first two, but it is executed very well and often provides the needed excitement in these types of tales.
The story itself is very entertaining and briskly paced with the comedic mayhem and more character driven elements getting being well balanced together. There are even quite a few fun surprise thrown in that I thought made the proceedings more engaging. Most importantly though, the film still manages to have that same emotional oomph that makes these movies click on another level. I found Paddington’s arc in this movie of going back to his home place roots and discovering his roots to be a very compelling one as we see all of the mixed emotions that are associated with it. It ties into the original story’s nature as an immigrant tale and makes everything come in a full circle manner that I found incredibly satisfying and very touching by the end of it. It is also just nice to have a character who represents the good that being kind can have on people which is always important.
Another aspect of the Paddington franchise that makes it work is that the films tend to very well done on a craftsmanship level and this is no different. One can tell Wilson and co. were excited to have an even bigger canvas to play with thanks to the Peru setting and they take full advantage of that. Cinematographer, Erik Wilson, gets in some truly beautiful shots of the Peruvian countryside and jungle, while also making the colors throughout shine bright making for a visually pleasing film. I also enjoy the production design of the Home for Retired Bears which has some nice little details that I thought were amusing. The editors also seemed to get really creative with the transitions as we get some neat ones that often involve different styles being used like a painting like animation or the classic use of doll houses that is common in these movies. I also found the various scenes of jungle peril to be very well done as they tend to do well in providing genuine thrills and amusing comedic scenarios that get in some solid laughs. Adding to that is Dario Marinelli’s score which can often feel straight out of an classic adventure serial or really tug at the heartstrings depending on the moment.
That being said, what makes these films truly shine is Paddington himself as he continues to be such an endearing and lovable protagonist who is easy to root for. Ben Whishaw once again fits comfortably in this role and brings such a nice warmth to the character that is able to convey so much in regards to emotion, comedy, naivety, wit, and more. It really has become a case of an actor being associated with a character and for good reason. Not only that, but the dynamic he has with the Browns is also very well done. I like the idea of them not being as close as they get older and dealing with their own anxieties and we see how them going on this adventure makes them into a stronger unit than ever. Each member has their own little arc (Mr. Brown learning to take more risks, Jonathan learning to be more active, etc.) with satisfying payoffs and each of the actors fit comfortably in their roles with Hugh Bonneville as Mr. Brown and Julie Walters as Mrs. Bird (who herself has a very fun subplot involving her at the retirement home for Bears) continuing to be the ones providing the most laughs. Admittedly, I did miss Sally Hawkins as Mrs. Brown, with Emily Mortimer filling in for her. Now, nothing against Mortimer, as she is quite good in the role and fills in nicely, but it is apparent that she is trying to capture that spirit, but it doesn’t quite hit the same. Still, her arc of learning to let her kids leave the nest I thought was quite nice. Plus, even though she doesn’t get the most screentime, Imelda Staunton gives in a very soulful and emotional vocal performance once again as Aunt Lucy, with her relationship with Paddington serving as a nice driving force.
Along with a lot of the returning faces, we also have plenty of new players thrown into the mix and to say they sometimes steal the show is an understatement. Olivia Colman always a welcome presence and here she is fantastic as the Reverend Mother, a playing up the properness of the character, but also making it so that there may be more to her than meets the eyes. She also gets an opportunity to show off her singing chops which was wonderful. The real standout for me though, was Antonio Banderas as Hunter Cabot, the boat captain, whose obsession with gold gets the better of him. Banderas is an actor who can do comedy very well as he tends to just go out and deliver more than what he is offered, playing up the absurdity of the situation and this is no different. He is having an absolute blast chewing the scenery and making Cabot into a shockingly well rounded character whose funny, but Banderas does a great job conveying the tragedy that he is going through with his gold obsession. He is also the center of one of the best running gags of the film where we see him interact with his ancestors through hallucinations which was wonderful (seeing more than one Banderas was a treat. I also felt Carla Tous did a solid job as Gia, having some really nice interactions with Banderas that get across the complicated relationship nicely. We also get various appearances from characters across the franchise which was nice (there’s one especially that I got a kick out of… just stay for the credits is all I’ll say).
On the whole, I found Paddington in Peru to be yet another delightful adventure with the titular bear. Its narrative may be a tad more conventional than the other two and I did miss Sally Hawkins, but that didn’t matter for me too much as I found the story to be an engaging adventure, the comedy landed consistently, the emotion hit hard, the messages were nicely done, it is polished in terms of craftsmanship, the characters are just such a treat to be around, and the performances were great across the board. While Paddington 2 is still my favorite of the trilogy, I’d say liked this one about as much as the (also fantastic) original and I think fans of the series and families are likely to have a good time. It really is incredible how consistent this franchise has become with each entry knocking it out of the park. While I’m not sure if I need a Paddington 4, as I thought this worked very well as a theoretical finale if things were to end here (it honestly felt like one), this series has such a great track record that the benefit of the doubt is earned.
Rating: A
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