‘Paddington in Peru': The beloved bear brings marmalade and mishaps back to his homeland
From left: Samuel Joslin, Madeleine Harris, Paddington, Emily Mortimer, Hugh Bonneville, and Julie Walters in "Paddington in Peru."
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
So, when I heard about 'Paddington in Peru,' I was a little worried. Hawkins, the gentle human heart of the prior two installments, wasn't reprising her role as the family matriarch, Mary Brown. She's replaced by Emily Mortimer, who's fine opposite the returning Hugh Bonneville as patriarch Henry Brown. But I missed the twinkle in Hawkins's eye. And King, who helmed the prior two installments, exited the franchise to bring his world-building magic to Timothée Chalamet's better-than-expected 2023 film, 'Wonka.' Though director Dougal Wilson keeps the proceedings lively and colorful, King's deft touch is missed here as well.
Don't get me wrong; any film that makes references to 'The Sound of Music' and 'The African Queen' deserves an A for effort. But this film felt less like a Paddington movie and more like an adventure for the globetrotting Belgian comic character TinTin. The screenplay by Mark Burton, Jon Foster, and James Lamont focuses more on the quest than it does on the family dynamic that anchored the first two films.
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Despite my quibbles, I can't deny that 'Paddington in Peru' still has enough charm and humor to recommend it. Additionally, wrapped inside all the action sequences is a story about an immigrant finding an equal balance between his birth and adopted homelands. Making it all work is the sweet, lovely voiceover work by Ben Whishaw, who brings Paddington to life in a way that warms the heart.
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Paddington in "Paddington in Peru."
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
The film opens with Paddington's clumsy attempt to use a photo machine at Paddington Station. We discover that it's for his new British passport. Now a citizen, he can travel anywhere he wants (apparently, there's no Brexit in Paddington's universe). That newfound freedom comes at a most opportune time: The Browns receive a letter from Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman), the nun who runs the Home for Retired Bears in Peru. Paddington's beloved, 100-year-old Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) resides there.
'Something's not right with Lucy,' the letter informs us. Apparently, she's been feeling down and disoriented. Perhaps she misses her nephew, Reverend Mother implies. The impromptu family trip to Peru is exactly what the risk-averse Henry needs to impress his new American boss, a woman so tapped into thrill-seeking that she has her coffee delivered through her high-rise office window by a parachuting intern.
'Something's not right with that Reverend Mother,' I wrote in my notebook. She is perky and smiles more than any nun I've ever met — cinematic or otherwise. And of course, someone hands her a guitar so she can perform a spectacular musical number featuring the film's title song. Colman not only nails the number, it's the highlight of the movie. (Wait until you see that aforementioned homage to 'The Sound of Music.')
Olivia Colman in "Paddington in Peru."
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters), the feisty neighbor in this series, agrees with my suspicions about that sister. When Reverend Mother tells the Browns that Aunt Lucy has wandered off into the Amazon without her glasses, they embark on a search-and-rescue mission. Mrs. Bird stays behind to keep an eye on Reverend Mother.
A strategically placed map leads Paddington to believe that Aunt Lucy is on her way to a place called Ruby Rock. So he hires a tour boat run by Henry Cabot (Antonio Banderas) and Cabot's daughter Gina (Carla Tous) to take the Browns up the Amazon River. They seem rational, but something is amiss.
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Imagine if Humphrey Bogart's Mr. Allnut from 'The African Queen' got crossed with his Fred C. Dobbs character from 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre,' and you have an idea of Cabot's character. He's looking for gold, specifically the lost city of El Dorado. And he's haunted by ghosts (also played by Banderas) of the family members who failed at this mythical quest. Paddington's map may hold the key to finding El Dorado.
Antonio Banderas in "Paddington in Peru."
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
All the treasure stuff feels tacked on, and it reduces the Browns to supporting characters in their own story.
Colman and Banderas have a great time hamming it up, and their fun is quite infectious. Walters is also at her spiky best. They help make this a worthwhile afternoon at the cinema. And just like Reverend Mother's song, 'Paddington in Peru' ends on a high note.
Whatever you do, do not leave before the mid-credits sequence. No, it's not that music video of Paddington singing 'Lady Marmalade' that the bad boy in me wants so badly. However, it's something that will put an even bigger smile on the faces of my fellow 'Paddington 2″ stans.
★★★
PADDINGTON IN PERU
Directed by Dougal Wilson. Written by Mark Burton, Jon Foster, James Lamont. Starring Ben Whishaw, Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Imelda Staunton, Carla Tous. At AMC Boston Common, Alamo Drafthouse Seaport, AMC Causeway, suburbs. 106 min. PG (safe for kids; no gitchy-gitchy-ya-yas here)
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Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe's film critic.
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