Not many movies or TV shows have received such high praise after just two installments as the Paddington series. The first Paddington movie will remain dear to my heart from the day I watched it with friends at a drive-in. I'm certain you’ve heard about Paddington 2, considering its impact on the film industry and culture. I mean, it was literally a plot point in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. But can they make it a hat trick? That is what we are hoping to find out today.
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Let's begin with a recap of the previous season of this family show. Hugh Bonneville’s Henry has a new boss, Madison, played by Hayley Atwell, who ‘encourages’ him to embrace risk. Judy (Madeleine Harris), as the rest of the family marks shifts in her life, has already started looking for a Uni, while Samuel Joslin's Jonathan is at full-blown teenage and spends all his time holed up in his room. Mary, played by Emily Mortimer, is dealing with the anticipatory anxiety of empty nesting. The good news is that Paddington, voice of Ben Whishaw, just got his British citizenship and copyright. Luckily in time, because The Reverend Mother of The Home for Retired Bears in Peru, played by Olivia Colman, writes to let everyone know that Aunt Lucy, voice of Imelda Staunton, is not well. The Brown family scrambles over to Peru, but find out that Aunt Lucy has gone missing, and it’s only Paddington who seems to have an idea of where she could be.
Let’s get straight to the point - this movie is definitely the worst of the series. The ghost part with Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) is funny but one time over. If they were attempting a Golem/Smeagal situation, they just bombed. It was amusing when they did the ancestor montage and it was just Antonio Banderas, but that was the extent of the joke that worked. The movie lacked some of the physicality that gives it life, and the finale felt a little more stale than the previous movies, likely due to the collapsed gold plot.
It is worthy noting that even with my critiques of the film, Paddington 3 still carries the charm of the previous two films. Very few films are capable of bringing to life a character quite like Paddington and with the work of animators and Ben Whishaw, this is made possible. Typically, I cannot rationalize why that little bear is so delightful to watch. Even if he can be a bit of a chaotic troublemaker, there are many elements within his design that give him the charm and liveliness that he has, and it’s the small touches Ben adds to the voice that really bring him to life. Although there is not as much chaos to be found in the woods, there are still bursts of it to be found. For me, the musical number ‘Let’s Prepare for Paddington’ was the point in the film where it really came together. The whole soundtrack was, in fact, wonderful.
So, do we recommend Paddington in Peru? While it may not have triumphed over previous films, it still made me smile. I will watch whatever the little brown bear is in because he is so lovable. I do feel like they got a bit lost within the story this time around, though. What did you think about Paddington in Peru? Share your thoughts with us in the comments down below. If you enjoyed Paddington in Peru, we recommend The Wild Robot to you.