The third instalment of the Paddington franchise sees the lovable bear return to his country of origin, Peru. Intending to visit his Aunt Lucy, Paddington and the Brown family arrive to find her missing from the Home for Retired Bears. They undertake an action-packed jungle adventure across the Amazon to find her, unwittingly leading two members of the gold-hungry Cabot family to the treasure of El Dorado along the way.
Though the plot is predictable, it is engaging and delightful. Though the script sometimes falls flat, it retains the whimsy and British charm of previous films. Though Sally Hawkins is gone (and her absence is much felt!), the Brown family are just as quirky and endearing.
The Cabots, played by Olivia Colman masquerading as a nun and Antonia Banderas as a tour guide, are amusing villains. But they don’t compare to Hugh Grant in Paddington 2, whose Phoenix Buchanan steals the show.
The genuinely sinister streak of the villains in the first two Paddington films is missing from the latest. Despite the poisonous tarantulas and Indiana Jones-esque rolling boulders, it never feels as though the bear is in true peril. Unfortunately, the film feels slower and resolution less momentous as a result.
Paddington in Peru is arguably the worst of the trilogy; however, it has the unfair disadvantage of being pitted against two infallible masterpieces. Despite this, the film is fun, visually entertaining, and spreads a positive message about family and cultural identity. It will undoubtedly become a classic family favourite.
Illustration by Niyah Lawrence