13-02-2025
Paddington In Peru Review: A Sweet, Silly Entry in the Beloved Franchise
The post Paddington In Peru Review: A Sweet, Silly Entry in the Beloved Franchise appeared first on Consequence.
The Pitch: Paddington was born in the Peruvian jungle, went all the way to London, went to literal prison, went back to London, and now, everyone's favorite small bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) is finally heading back home to Peru.
After receiving a worrying letter about his Aunt Lucy's strange behavior from the Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman), who works as a nun at the home for retired bears in Peru, Paddington and the Brown family decide to embark on an adventure down to South America together. Upon their arrival, however, Aunt Lucy — who appeared to be hard at work decoding some sort of jungle mystery — has gone missing.
So, the family enlists the guidance of Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) and his daughter Gina (Carla Tous) to help them locate Aunt Lucy at the mysterious 'Rumi Rock,' which is said to hold the key of a lost city (called El Dorado) and its hidden treasure. They hop on his fancy riverboat and cruise down the Amazon River until Cabot's ancestrally-fueled greed for the treasure diverts their plans for rescuing Aunt Lucy. Separated from each other and lost in the jungle, Paddington and the Browns face some of their most daunting challenges yet.
Enjoyable Additions: Though Paddington In Peru maintains the same clever, jubilant tone as the prior two Paddington films, there are some new elements in the mix. For one, there's the obvious change in location; we've left the bustling streets of London and find our heroes in the same swampy jungle that Paddington grew up in. There have also been some changes to the creative team: Emily Mortimer has stepped in to replace Sally Hawkins (who played matriarch Mary Brown in the first two films) while original Paddington director Paul King has been swapped out with newcomer Dougal Wilson (a music video and commercial director making his feature film debut).
Mortimer and Wilson fill their predecessors' shoes well enough, though the overall presentation is perhaps less theatrically done compared to the expansive, storybook directing in the first two films. The most intriguing additions, however, arrive with this film's enjoyable pair of guest stars: Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas.
Paddington in Peru (Sony)
Colman is good in literally anything she's in, and as the smiling, gaslighting Reverend Mother, she's a riot. With just a blank, gazing smile, she carries so much comedic potential in every scene she's in; watching her go toe to toe with the no-nonsense Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters) is a delight, and her opening over-the-top, Sound of Music-esque song announcing Paddington's arrival is joyously absurd.
Banderas, meanwhile, forgoes the kind of tense politeness that Colman brings and instead gets wacky and lightly unhinged. He seemed to have gotten the 'play it like a cartoon character would' memo, not too dissimilar from Hugh Grant's turn as the eccentric actor villain in Paddington 2. Which brings me to my next point…
A Trilogy of Villains: As Paddington In Peru very likely serves as the conclusion of a trilogy, one fascinating thing to note is that each of the three films have villains that are driven by the same thematic motivators: ancestral trauma. Millicent Clyde (Nicole Kidman) of the first film has embraced taxidermy as a result of her late father's humiliating affection towards animals; Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant) seeks to avenge his grandfather's attempt to get his hands on Kozlova's fortune in Paddington 2; and Cabot similarly descends from a long line of treasure hunters, who have risked their entire lives and consistently failed to find the lost city of El Dorado and its riches.
Sure, the screenwriters drew upon a plethora of source material for the films, but these characterizations all point to the idea of redemption. These villains want to redeem both themselves for their past mistakes and their parents for their inability to protect their child. It's all in sharp contrast to the purity of Paddington, who is also driven by his upbringing and unbreakable dedication to family. Paddington is set against them as a reminder that we're not beholden to the errors of our bloodline, or that family can and only be what our ancestors decided. Instead, across three films, they argue that we make our own families, and no past mistake is so grave that it should cancel out our futures. Sweet, right?
The Verdict: Now seven years removed from Paddington 2, it's hard to root against Paddington In Peru, especially because the first two films have achieved such beloved status in a very short amount of time. It doesn't help that Paddington 2 reached cult classic level after becoming the highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes, giving its sequel an already unfair level of expectations to aspire to.
Paddington in Peru (Sony)
So, the third Paddington film had to be bolder than ever to make as big of a splash as its predecessors, and while the new cast is up for the challenge, the story and exotic relocation aren't quite as successful. The whole 'lost city' trope is certainly uninspiring, especially considering the Incan and Mesoamerican roots that so often get glossed over; the film takes place in Peru, yes, but there's so little in the film that honors the culture within the country's gorgeous, multi-faceted landscape.
Still, the film's buoyant attitude keeps things light and breezy, and the story's 'lost city' twist can really only be described as 'Paddington-core' (no spoilers, but as you can imagine, marmalade is involved). It's another sweet, warm-hearted entry in the Paddington catalog, albeit one that feels more like a detour or spinoff episode than an illuminating, well-rounded conclusion.
The adventure might not be as thrilling this time around, but luckily, that dang bear is so charming. Once he delivers his signature 'hard stare,' it's enough to win you over.
Where to Watch: Paddington In Peru swings into theaters on February 14th.
Trailer:
Paddington In Peru Review: A Sweet, Silly Entry in the Beloved Franchise Paolo Ragusa
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